


Going To Seed

by AllMyShipss, Datmomfriend



Series: The Language Of Flowers [5]
Category: Lupin III
Genre: Established Relationship, Gangster kink, M/M, Roleplay, Tattoos, Unrealistic tattooing session times, Yakuza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:21:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 87,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23086204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllMyShipss/pseuds/AllMyShipss, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Datmomfriend/pseuds/Datmomfriend
Summary: "Come on, old man. It can't be that hard to think of HOW to be a thief. Your whole career was knowing how we think. You've got to have something that gets you into the headspace" Lupin chided. He assumed Zenigata had a switch he could flip in the back of his head that told him just what a thief like Lupin would do."I didn't spend my career thinking like thieves. I spent my career thinking like you." Zenigata corrected with a little half smile. "And still, it was like thinking in reverse. I don't know how to think like a criminal."
Relationships: Arsène Lupin III/Zenigata Kouichi
Series: The Language Of Flowers [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1424869
Comments: 7
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the final installment of the "Language Of Flowers" series. We are so touched by the enthusiastic response this series got and the Lupin fandom had been nothing but wonderful and accepting the whole time we have been writing! 
> 
> While Primrose Path ended in a way that we were both very satisfied with, we had a few more tropes and ideas that we wanted to explore within the universe of this series. So while we both feel the series ended on the note it should have, feel free to look at this story as a sequel we wanted to write for us that can stand alone from the rest of the series even though it takes place in the same universe. Apologies in advance if it doesn't live up to the rest of the series!
> 
> We are so incredibly touched by all the support and love this series received and just wanted to repeat: THANK YOU! The Lupin fandom is so kind and fun and we are very lucky you all have given us the time of day! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
> 
> As far as Lupin continuity is concerned, we take the Part Five approach where it's only canon once it's been brought up. In this story we make reference to:
> 
> \- Murasaki and "The Fuma Conspiracy"as a whole  
> \- Goemon Ishikawa's Spray Of Blood  
> \- Crisis In Tokyo  
> \- WCFM episode 2, ".357 Magnum" 
> 
> None of this is required viewing but a comprehensive guide never goes a miss.
> 
> If you'd like updates on the newest stories in our series (including our upcoming series in the Yakuza fandom) or would like to share them or any of our other stories, links are posted on my tumblr. Please follow and reblog at allmyshipsareproblematic.tumblr.com

"For Christ sake, Lupin! I haven't even been gone for five goddamn minutes!!" Jigen shouted. He slapped a hand over his eyes and turned his head away for good measure.

Lupin sat holding his chin in his hand, elbow resting on the back of the couch. His smile bore a striking resemblance to that of the Cheshire Cat looking down at Alice from his tree branch. His coat and tie had been long discarded, as had his pants but Lupin didn't know why Jigen was so upset. With his shirt and boxers on he was not at all naked. Zenigata, with his pants and boxers around his shins and currently pinned beneath Lupin, could not say the same. Lupin had been in Zenigata's lap slowly grinding against his husband and pulling some absolutely wild sighs from his throat when the door opened. Lupin felt Zenigata's fingers spot-weld themselves to Lupin's hips at the sound. Lupin, on the other hand, had taken it in stride knowing the embarrassment of the situation was not going to lessen if he leaned into the shame. Lupin decided to pole vault past it into irreverence.

"What can I say? I work fast..." Lupin joked.

"That's not the point, you bastard! The couch?! Really? This is a communal room that we all have to use, Lupin." Jigen spat. Lupin shook his head in a way that spoke to Jigen's apparent naivety.

"This couch is second hand, Jigen. There's absolutely no chance we're the first people to do this." He reasoned in an even way.

"Lupin. Stop fighting with him and get off me." Zenigata grumbled underneath his husband. His face was a deep shade of red and he wasn't sure he could ever look Jigen in the eyes again after this. He'd never thought himself an amorous man but that was before he had met Lupin. Now it didn't take much for him to long for the other man's touch. Lupin only had to give him a look some days before Zenigata would haul his husband into bed. This is where his loss of self-restraint had gotten him.

Zenigata had his back to Jigen where he was seated and based upon the humiliated lilt hidden in his growl, Jigen was glad no to be able to see his face. He was also pretty sure that Zenigata did not realize if Lupin did vacate his lap Jigen would get a full display of his genitals. Based on the way Lupin was chortling and beginning to make a theatrical show of his reluctance to do so, the thief knew that too. Everything was a game to that little brat and even when a normal person would consider it derailed, Lupin, the ever adaptive agent of chaos, just saw another fun twist.

"You really are the worst, you know that?" Jigen told Lupin, glaring at him through his fingers. Lupin's face was also a little flush but Jigen expected that embarrassment had nothing to do with it. The thief as always took the verbal abuse in stride.

"I know for a fact this is not the most compromising position you've seen me in!" Lupin retorted. He was right, much to Jigen's disdain. Zenigata looked up at Lupin.

"You said he'd be gone for the rest of the day." He grumbled. Lupin ignoring him was frustrating almost as much as Jigen's presence. Then his eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean by that? How has he seen you in a more compromising position than this? Lupin, you better answer me or I'll divorce you."

Lupin turned his attention back to Zenigata and his shift made the pair of them brush together with a startling little pulse of leftover pleasure. Lupin laughed loud and hard at the way Zenigata's face tensed in an attempt not to react.

"Come on, Pops. You don't mean that!" He chided and pressed a quick kiss to the side of his head. Lupin had come to suspect threats of divorce would soon replace the ones of arrest Zenigata had been so fond of back in the days before he had defected from Interpol. Lupin looked back to Jigen. The expression on his face was utterly priceless. Lupin was feeling devilish and both men were feeding the flames. "Anyway, I'm not the nanny to this nanny goat. I don't run his schedule."

The spike of pleasure that ran through Zenigata was beautiful and infuriating. Luckily he'd been able to keep his noises to himself. The memory of Jigen pounding on their bedroom door when the couple had forgotten how loud they were being was only a few days old and Zenigata was still mortified.

"God damn it Lupin." He growled but at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to let go of Lupin's hips. Jigen could feel his face growing hotter and tilted his head down to hide any color of emotion beneath the edge of his hat.

"Nevermind! I just forgot my damn lighter!" Jigen explained tersely. His eyes cut a path toward the low table past the couch, hoping to locate the lighter and not see any more of Zenigata's exposed lower half than possible.

Jigen had been looking forward to spending the day out of the apartment and away from Lupin and Zenigata. He would find something half decent in a nearby used book shop and then spend the afternoon picking through it in the coffee house next door in blissful silence. He had seen a copy of C.S. Forrester's "The African Queen" on the sidewalk rack the last time he had walked past and was quietly hoping it was still there. Jigen was more of a westerns man if he had to be involved with the classics, but Lupin swore by the movie and had watched it with tears in his eyes multiple times. In any case, it would probably be shmaltzy crap, just Lupin's favorite, but it would make for a few hours of welcome distraction from the apartment (Now it seemed stupid that even in his attempt to distance himself from Lupin, he let the thief color his choices).

Once the book was done, Jigen had had every intention of chasing the day into night and trading the black coffee for sharp red wine at a jazz bar Jigen remembered seeing in the neighborhood the last time he had stayed in Tokyo. Things bitter and astringent to offset the terrible sweetness in the apartment. Now all of that had potential peace had been ruined by the absurdity of the current situation.

He referred to days like this very vocally as his scheduled "love bird breaks" and while he hoped it would serve to sting and be a passive-aggressive hint that the married couple was once again becoming just too much, it seemed to have backfired. It looked like Lupin had welcomed Jigen's absence and was using it to nail his husband on any available surface of their shared second story apartment.

"Well, that means you'll be out in just a minute then. So don't mind us." Lupin pulled his brass lighter from his shirt's breast pocket and threw it to Jigen, who caught it. "Here, use mine!"

He reached back in and this time came back with a ten thousand yen bill which he balled up at threw in Jigen's direction. This Jigen ignored as it rolled across the floor.

"In fact, get a hotel for the night while you're at it! Give the feathers in the love nest a chance to settle!" Lupin let go another peel of laughter. When he twitched his hips this time it may have been on purpose.

This was what Jigen got for all his bitching and moaning about Lupin and his new husband's healthy sex life. He would go so far as to call it poetic justice. Truthfully Lupin would never kick Jigen out on the street. That was not how their relationship worked. Jigen could hang around Lupin as long as he liked even between jobs but really, if the gunman was so sick of the "love birds" he had every right to just move on until the next job had come. He had yet to do so. Jigen just sort of decided silently to stick around. Lupin had no problem with this. Jigen, like all of his friends, was always welcome but if that was what he chose he would have to put up with the life of two men in their first year of marriage.

Even though Zenigata and Jigen weren't exactly getting along lately, Zenigata did feel a bit bad for the guy.

"Aren't you bein a bit tough -" any other protest Zenigata was about to say was lost in a gasp as Lupin gave a slow sexy grind down into his lap. All the older man could do was moan softly and blush harder. That sound seemed to undo Jigen. He grit his teeth wishing there was a cigarette between them and turned to the door.

"Forget it! I'm leaving! Fuck like bunnies if ya want! S'none of my business!" He barked. With that and a slam of the door, Jigen was gone. Lupin looked at the closed door with a pursed lipped expression of sour disappointment.

"Spoilsport..." he muttered. Zenigata pressed his hot face against Lupin's torso.

"He's never gonna let us live this down." He grumbled to his husband. It wasn't that he liked Jigen, far from it. Zenigata knew he'd have to be part of the team at some point and he didn't want to start that partnership on bad terms. Lupin was less concerned. He lightly hugged Zenigata head and petted his hair as he spoke.

"Eh, he'll get over it. Jigen always gets over it." He stated. One warm brown eye peeked up at Lupin.

"You really think so?"

Lupin wrinkled his nose flippantly. He paired it with a shrug and let his arms fall to rest on Zenigata's shoulders.

"Oh, course I do. It's just how he is. Every time is the last straw and then he comes back like it never happened." He said as he looked down into his husband's face. "It's when you try to make a big deal out of it that he gets upset. He's like a bear trap. The more you try to pry him open the more he'll clamp down. Trust me. You get to know a guy like him after a while."

Moving from Lupin's boxer clad hips to under Lupin's loose shirt, Zenigata rested his hands on the small of the other man's back. "Well, I'll trust you on that one." He said after a moment but there was something dry and a bit cynical underneath it. Zenigata looked over at the door and back up at Lupin. "You think he's really gone this time?"

There was a small smile on his face as he asked. The look Lupin gave Zenigata was positively obscene. He lowered his head to touch foreheads with the other man.

"If he forgot anything else, I don't care what it is. I'll give him my lighter, my watch, my friggin' back teeth; whatever he wants, so long as he goes!" He giggled. He pulled Zenigata in for a breathtaking kiss.

Zenigata could scarcely believe that this was his life. It felt worlds away from the summer day in Washington when Zenigata had finally let the other shoe drop and renounced his life as an inspector. In reality, it had only been a bit over eight months since he and Lupin had gotten married in Paris.

It was Lupin who suggested traveling back to Japan. In his opinion, they had all been working too hard over the last half-year and deserved a rest. It would be nice to relax in a setting familiar to them. Instead of making a honeymoon of it as Zenigata had suspected, Lupin extended the invitation to the other three members of the group. Lupin got lonely easily and cherished the time he could get with his gang. Zenigata found it endearing and given the option of more travel, after a lifetime of such, he was actually pretty excited to return to his beloved Japan.

The group all agreed. After all, they were in high spirits and would not need to pursue work for some time. They were well paid between the series of jobs they had done to cover for Lupin and Zenigata's stolen pension. It was talk of that little chunk of change that had caused a bit of bad blood with Fujiko.

Zenigata had been clever enough to open the lining of his suitcase and slip the entirety of his pension in cash into it. Of course, Fujiko had opened it and dug through on the day Zenigata had been stolen away by Lupin. She at first tried to argue that it had been in a last minute attempt to look for a tracking device or bug, proof this had all been the biggest longest most convoluted trap of all, but Lupin refused to believe it. So ever pragmatic Fujiko admitted she had been searching for any little trinket of value she could run away with as a bonus and found nothing. When Fujiko found out she had fallen for the oldest trick in the book at the cost of a fortune in untraceable cash she had been pissed.

Lupin reminded her that Zenigata's pension money was a drop in the bucket in comparison to the sports car she had run off with but Fujiko would hear none of it. Looking like a child who had been caught in a lie had not agreed with Fujiko and she had stomped out in a huff. Lupin laughed until his sides hurt. She didn't tell them where she went to.

Goemon left next. They landed in Japan and Goemon had barely gotten his feet on the ground before he heard the call of his ever-persistent training on the wind and he was drawn away. It was par for the course for him and no one in the group was ever truely surprised when it happened. He was easy enough to contact and would always return when he had had his current fill.

Which just left Jigen, who was fine enough in his way.

The three men had found a large apartment in the heart of Tokyo, something incredibly spacious and rare in the city (and worth every penny in Lupin's opinion) and had settled into the comfortable ease of city life.

They treated themselves to new wardrobes and Lupin made good on a years old promise that he'd make sure Zenigata would never own an off the rack suit again. Zenigata never would consider an "every day" suit to cost as much as what Lupin had paid but Zenigata couldn't deny that the version of his customary brown suit that he slipped on at the tailor's made a real difference on his figure and his confidence. Lupin bought him one for every day of the week in addition to more formal ensembles.

Zenigata had spied an immaculate tan fedora on display at the store. A high-end Borsalino with a month's salary price tag and before he had even reached out to touch it, Jigen had given him a look and, finger raised like he was gently correcting a misbehaving puppy yet to be trained, told him: "Uh-uh. Hat's my thing..."

Zenigata hadn't looked at it a second time.

After that Jigen fell into a similar routine. He would pal around with Lupin, treating him as he always did and all in all, acted as a good roommate but when it came to Zenigata he kept him at arm's length. He was never cruel. Rather he just seemed unable to know how to act around Zenigata and defaulted to chilly formality. Lupin assured his husband that Jigen was still adjusting to a former cop being part of the gang. Zenigata did his best to not let it bother him.

Life married to Lupin, on the other hand, was nothing if not warm and exhilarating. Lupin took Zenigata to his favorite nightspots and eateries. Little places that Zenigata had never heard of despite living in Tokyo the majority of his life. They went on dates to Odaiba. They people watched and window shopped or spent nights on the couch, introducing each other to their favorite movies. Little things that most couples took for granted, Lupin and Zenigata were experiencing for the first time and it was wonderful.

The months ticked on, summer becoming fall and then winter and the elation extended into holidays and birthdays. Where they had only ever been able to leave behind small and unassuming tokens after brief encounters the pair now got to spend entire days celebrating together. Zenigata's birthday which also fell on their first Christmas together had been especially nice. Lupin had rented out an entire restaurant in Roppongi so they could enjoy the view of the thousands of Christmas lights along the streets in romantic privacy. It was the best birthday Zenigata ever had.

Lupin also couldn't help but notice the two of them were having some of the best sex they've ever had in their relationship. For some, the prospect of marriage meant less sex but just at long last having the freedom to make love whenever they wished had the opposite effect on the two men.

Lupin took every opportunity to make love to Zenigata, often whispering love speak in French. Zenigata's grasp of the language had always been incredibly poor and Lupin could have been reciting his grocery list for all Zenigata knew but he would continue not to care as long as Lupin was breathing those narrow fluid syllables into his ear.

Their vigor may have had something to do with the loss of pressure their former lives imposed. Now there were no more goodbyes, no more games to play. It was just them getting to be who they had become together. It was blissful.

Just about every aspect of Zenigata's life had changed and for the better, he thought. Not only in the regular day to day but in Zenigata's appearance. Yes, the suits added to that but it went deeper.

Once the bullet holes had fully healed Zenigata noticed he was having problems moving his arm in certain ways. They had warned him of this in the hospital; that he would need physical therapy to get his full range of motion back but he hadn't thought it would be this bad. There were days he could barely raise his arm over his head and he had to sheepishly ask Lupin to help him dress.

It wasn't that Zenigata was embarrassed by needing help. It had more to do with the somber way Lupin looked at his scar. It wasn't pretty; that was for sure. High on his left pectoral near his shoulder was a patch of marred pink skin. It swirled and puckered in an unappealing way. They had had to dig to get the bullet out and this reminder was now etched in his skin. His ribs had faired better than his shoulder luckily. The bullet had gone clean through but it had shattered a rib and nicked a kidney. They had to open him up to stop the bleeding which left behind a line where the incision had been made. It was accompanied by little dots where the stitches had been. The same mottled pink as by his shoulder.

The look Lupin gave the scars wasn't that of distaste but of guilt. He still put the blame for this happening on himself. It broke the older man's heart to see his husband so distraught over all of this. There was little he could do about it though except find a way to make it so Lupin wouldn't have to help him dress again.

Zenigata did what any resourceful person needing answers would do. He checked the internet. There he found a work out routine that he could use as physical therapy. Lupin was his constant cheerleader and made sure Zenigata had any weights or equipment he might need to help his recovery.

After about a month of diligent training, Zenigata's shoulder was almost good as new. It was after that month that he saw himself in the free standing mirror in his and Lupin's room. He had been getting dressed and he paused to admire his arms and chest. It wasn't a big difference but he could see where his chest and arms looked slightly larger. He flexed an arm and smiled at himself in the mirror. He also noticed his stomach looked a bit flatter. The exchange of regular instant ramen for Lupin's far healthier home-cooked meals was starting to make a difference.

For once in his life, Zenigata was starting to like the way he looked. So he resolved to keep up the training. There had been no time in his old life for that but now he was in charge of how he spent his days. Soon Zenigata added running to his routine. He ran all over Tokyo. Along the Arakawa river and through the Imperial palace to Yoyogi park. He changed the places he ran regularly. Even in winter, bundled up under a few layers he'd run in the early morning light while his husband still slept. He always made sure he was back before Lupin woke up though.

The running had been hard at the beginning. Zenigata huffed and puffed and didn't get far at all but he was used to pushing himself. He felt stronger and had more energy now. The thought that even though he was older than his husband he may have bought them a few extra years together pushed him to train harder.

Zenigata did comment about thinking of quitting smoking but that had been met with laughter by both Jigen and Lupin. His husband tossed a half pack of cigarettes at him and Jigen sarcastically wished him luck with that. He never brought it up again but that didn't stop him from cutting back more and more until he had kicked the habit completely. At an other time in his life he never would have thought he could do it but now every time he reached for a cigarette he imagined loosing one year with Lupin. Suddenly the cigarettes seemed less appealing.

The former inspector was always careful. Even on those very early morning jogs. Though he never saw many other people he was careful to keep his hood up and in place when he wore a sweatshirt and a ball cap and large dark glasses on warm days were too much for such warm clothing. It was important though. Zenigata was still "missing" and they had to be careful not to be seen in public. Lupin would refer to it as "readying his debut" but Zenigata was in no rush for anyone to find out about him and his second marriage. He was perfectly happy to see how long this dream of a new life could last.

Jigen had not come back to the apartment until after one in the morning. He was still up before Lupin, as was his custom. He was cooking himself breakfast when the thief came out of his bedroom stretching his long limbs above his head. Jigen had a cup of coffee on the counter before Lupin sat down at the bar separating the kitchen from the living room. Lupin drank then added cream and sugar before trying again and finding it more to his liking. It was a well-practiced routine for them. Jigen's coffee was always too strong but Lupin always drank it black before doctoring it as if every morning would be the one where the brew would be palatable as is. Jigen took secret comfort in the habit. They held comfortable silence a while but there was something in the air. Jigen at last spoke.

"Money's starting to get tight, boss." He said. He didn't look up from the eggs he was cooking. Lupin stopped stirring his coffee a moment.

"Come on, Jigen. We're not doing all that bad." He said mildly.

"How many more months of rent ya got?" Jigen asked just as mild.

"Two, maybe three. S'plenty..." Came the careful reply. Lupin sensed the cautious game being played here and watched his step.

"Cash for food?" Still no visual acknowledgment. Lupin scratched behind his ear and tried to smooth down a cowlick.

"Sure."

"And smokes?"

Lupin looked up from his coffee with annoyance in his eyes. There were days Jigen could see through his head, Lupin swore.

"Okay fine!" Lupin conceded. "So maybe we have to tighten our belts a bit but there's no need to rush it!"

Jigen had had time to go over the numbers yesterday after vacating the house. He also had plenty of time to think about what would have to come next. Jigen split the eggs between two plates.

"Gonna need cash soon." He told Lupin, placing one plate on the bar as he walked past to sit in the living room. It was another of their habits. Jigen always 'made too much' food and wordlessly would give it to Lupin. Lupin began to eat.

"Not that soon..." He argued. There was a petulance in his voice he wasn't proud of. Jigen almost sat down on the couch but reconsidered it and opted for the armchair.

"Gonna have to do a job." He continued. "Which means..."

"Which means...?" Lupin echoed it as a question but knew what the remainder of the sentence was. Lupin and Jigen looked at each other then both looked down the hall to the bedroom. The bedroom where Zenigata was sleeping. The two thieves looked back at one another. Lupin scoffed a bit and turned back to his eggs.

"We can go a few more months, Jigen." Lupin said, all haughty shrewdness.

"Ya don't think he can do it?" Jigen asked and Lupin could hear the smile in his voice.

"Of course he can do it, he's fine!" Lupin answered a little too quickly. Jigen gave a breath that may have had a laugh in it.

"What can who do?" Zenigata asked as he came down the hall. He was in his boxers and undershirt as he'd just woken up from his morning nap after his run and found his bed partner missing. The end of the conversation was all he caught as he'd come through the door.

Jigen and Lupin exchanged another look. Beneath the shade of his hat's brim, Lupin could see Jigen's eyebrows lifted expectantly. With that, he sat, head down. He had made his opinion known and Lupin would be the one to decide if he shared it with Zenigata. Lupin looked to Zenigata and smiled sweetly. He reached out a hand towards him as a request for Zenigata's own.

"Well, darling, we were just discussing..." Lupin began trying to tamp down his apprehension. He looked back to Jigen once more who very quickly turned his attention to his food. Lupin abandoned that avenue. "...our financial situation."

Zenigata raised an eyebrow at the pet name. Yes, Lupin had a propensity to call him the type of names one was more inclined to hear people in black and white movies call each other but the way he called him darling today had a different ring to it.

"I had a feeling this was coming." He commented as he crossed to the room and took Lupin's hand in his. "If you just let me buy suits off the rack we might not be in this situation." He teased before giving his husband a good morning kiss on the cheek. Lupin didn't want to shoot his mouth off lest he look foolish. On the other hand, he was a bit put out by that comment. He accepted the kiss but made a face, lips pursed unhappily.

"Why are you calling it a situation? It's not a situation. We are not in a situation." He defended. "And even if we were, which I remind you, we are not, I won't have you blaming it on me just because I happen to have superlative taste."

Jigen huffed a single grunt of doubtful laughter. Lupin knew how hollow it sounded as he said it. Jigen wouldn't have brought the topic of a job up if he himself hadn't also begun to feel the pinch. Jigen, at his own admission, was often just as bad as Lupin when it came to saving cash. They often lived in a world of feast or famine. They did it to themselves. Good booze and food; fine clothes. Those things were all fleeting, meant to be enjoyed in the moment and discarded if need be. It was part of the impermanence of being wanted men.

Zenigata gave another raised eyebrowed look to Jigen then moved to sit on the sofa.

"So if it's not a situation, what is it?" He looked back at his husband with a small crinkle in his brow.

"Time to see what you're made of, pops." Jigen said as he finished off his breakfast. He knew a comment like that would get Lupin all wound up and he was a bit proud of himself for that.

"Jeez, Jigen! You're making it sound like we're just going to dump him out there to fend for himself!" Lupin griped. He crossed to the couch and sat beside Zenigata. "What is happening is more like," Lupin searched for the right words and finding both the other men in the room watching him expectantly, he pushed through. "Figuring out our new team dynamic."

Jigen laughed again, this time longer.

"Team dynamic..." He repeated. Once again Zenigata's brow furrowed as he looked at Lupin. A moment later his eyebrows shot up and the realization hit him.

"Oh! You mean... Like with...." He looked at Jigen then back to Lupin. He had forgotten that eventually he was going to have to steal something. A pit in his stomach started to grow. Lupin could sense the apprehension and he lifted his hands in a steadying gesture like he was trying to keep a spooked horse from bolting.

"Now, now, it's not that big of a deal. It just about dipping your toes in the water. We can just feel it out a bit and you'll be up and running in no time. Isn't that right, Jigen?" Lupin turned a hopeful eye on the gunman. Jigen grumbled a little. He was not there to baby the old man but a pointed look from Lupin forced his hand.

"Sure. You'll be fine. Just leave it to us." He said but it wasn't convincing. Zenigata shifted uncomfortably. That had felt more like a threat than a promise.

"I know I can do this. I need to do this. I'm just... Trying to figure it out."

Lupin seemed encouraged by Zenigata's resolve, as slight as it might have been. He chose to ignore Jigen's half-hearted contribution and focus on trying to start the ball rolling.

"Yes! That's exactly what we are going to do. Help you figure it out. And don't worry, It'll be something small to start. Believe me, it's very easy once you get started."

To Jigen's ears, Lupin sounded like a very poor mix of motivational speaker and a delinquent kid behind the school convincing his friend to light up one of his father's filched cigars.

"Sure sure. There's a convenience store down the block. Maybe Pops can steal a pack of gum." Jigen offered in a tone that was both totally casual and somehow biting. He stood and went to the kitchen to retrieve more coffee.

"Don't listen to him." Lupin advised, making an annoyed face at Jigen that Zenigata couldn't tell came from a place of sarcasm or not.

"Small. Ok, I can start small." Zenigata said nodding. "You just tell me what I need to do and I'll do it. I wanna be a good part of the team." He reached out and took his lover's hand in his and gave the man a reassuring smile.

"Didn't know we were running a junior thief school here."Jigen shook his head before sipping his coffee. "Do we sell cookies like the girl scouts or give badges like the boy scouts?"

Jigen was a bit perturbed by all of this. No one had held his hand as he walked the steep slope to the underbelly of the criminal world. It had been sink or swim even then. Why should Zenigata get special treatment?

"Hey! I'm trying. Ain't that worth something?" Zenigata had craned his head around so he could better see Jigen.

"Yeah, bout as much as an eleven dollar bill." Jigen replied. Lupin interjected again.

"Cool it, Jigen! You want us to pull a halfway decent job? Then you gotta cut Pops a little slack." He pointed out. Jigen scoffed but said nothing. He picked up his lighter from the bar where he had left it yesterday and returned to his seat. Lupin took that as begrudging acceptance.

"All we got to do is pin down what Pops brings to the table. Nothing easier. Then boom, you're in business. Zenigata, gentleman thief!" He added with a bit of boyish laughter in his voice. "So what do you think? Give us something to work with. What do you have that the Lupin gang needs?"

Zenigata thought for a moment. One finger crooked and pressed to his chin and his eyes upturned to the ceiling. Finally, his eyes brightened and he smiled. "I was a cop. I know how they think. How they work. That could help right."

"We ain't kids. We know all the tricks." Jigen grumbled around his cigarette as he lit it. "Nice try though. Next."

This earned him a glare from the other men in the room. Lupin wanted to come to Zenigata's aide but he had to admit that on this issue Jigen was right. Lupin could walk into just about any police station in the world and walk out with every gun belt and badge in the place and no one would be the wiser. He gave a sigh and sat back in his chair.

"Can you hotwire a car? Pick a lock?" He asked. Maybe they could take confidence in the basics. Zenigata reluctantly shook his head with a glum look on his face.

"Oh! But I'm strong! Even stronger than I was before now." He added brightly as he flexed his arms by holding them up to either side like an old-timey strong man.

The scoff came a third time from Jigen's chair, accompanied by a puff of cigarette smoke. Between the quiet mounting stress of the conversation and fact that it was first thing in the morning, Lupin suddenly wanted a cigarette of his own. He felt like he had brought a shiny new toy into the apartment and now when he was ready to play he had discovered that it was without batteries.

"Great. Junior thief school has a quarterback at least..." Jigen commented into his coffee cup. Zenigata visibly deflated.

Lupin felt like he was performing a balancing act and one side refused to stop adding weight. It was frustrating and his friend's smart mouth did nothing to help. What had been mere frustration bloomed to full disgruntlement at the sight of Lupin's husband looking so downtrodden. Lupin turned his ire on the gunman.

"Okay, enough of the peanut gallery! Ya wanna job? I'll find us a job okay? Don't worry about it!" He snapped, jumping to his feet. He looked at Zenigata and repeated the phrase. It was a bit more composed this time, a vote of confidence that was only partially sure. "Don't worry about it."

Lupin went around the couch and began to head down the hall toward his bedroom.

"Hell. I need a smoke." He said to himself. Zenigata sighed hard. He turned and gave a Jigen a stern look.

"If you wanna be a jerk that's fine but don't upset my husband. He's trying to make this whole thing work." With that, he stood and followed after Lupin. Jigen watched him go and smoked his cigarette. They'd get over it he told himself.

By the following evening, Lupin had a heist in order. He had slaved the entire day over his research, studying the cultural and financial happenings in the city, checking them against maps of districts and then finding blueprints of buildings within each of those wards. It was fascinating to Zenigata to watch Lupin work, observing the way he pushed his glasses back on his head to rub his tired eyes (Zenigata had been surprised to find the man occasionally needed reading glasses during prolonged lengths of his equivalent to office work) and then spring into furious fits of inspired writing as he suddenly climbed a hill in a series of mental highs and low. The cop part of Zenigata, that he was sure he would never quite get rid of, would have given anything to see the process in action just a few years ago.

It was not a perfect plan, Lupin stated when he gathered the two men in the living room to present it. Lupin had called Goemon to offer him a cut, to which the man said he would do his best to arrive but could make no promises. Lupin shrugged it off and surmised that locks could be picked instead of entirely bisected by Zantetsuken and the only thing they'd lose would be time. There was also no time to send an advance calling card but Lupin always said he could leave one behind. Both Jigen and Zenigata suspected Lupin's haste was because he had something to prove. The target of the job seemed to reinforce that.

Mitsui Memorial Museum was holding an exhibition of Edo period woodblock prints, every one of them under the same theme. Erotic Shunga-style art. The choice smacked of Lupin's own brand of petty payback. Jigen had insisted on Lupin finding him a job and the thief responded with a collection of love birds Jigen could not take a break from. Jigen had not been embarrassed - he had always been too cool of a cat for that kind of stuff to rub him the wrong way - but he had made a few jokes so dry they were practically powdered on the nature of putting actual porn in a museum.

Zenigata, on the other hand, blushed as he saw what his husband had chosen for his first theft. In actuality, he wouldn't actually be stealing anything. Zenigata was the wheelman this time out. Lupin surmised that as a former cop Zenigata would have no problem driving fast down streets at night. He'd even come up with an unmarked police car which would handle far differently than the Fiat.

Though he was nervous Zenigata was sure he could at least handle this. He had grown up in the city and professed that he knew every street by heart. He was just happy that he wouldn't have to do the stealing yet.

The break-in was child's play. The gathering of the prints just as easy, aside from Lupin's off color critique of each piece. Jigen felt in his element and joined in after a while, snorting at each depiction of geisha engaged in all matter of sexual acts with merchants and Kabuki actors and in some bizarre examples rather tenacious octopi that Lupin presented him. He and Lupin would rate them on a scale of ten, snickering like schoolboys. They would tilt their heads to decode the tangle of bodies or boast that they could do it if they had time to stretch. It was juvenile, Jigen knew, but Lupin's ever jocular mood was often times contagious. For his part, Lupin was glad to see his friend in such high spirits on a job. Jigen had always been a fun guy with a biting wit and a good sense of humor. It was sometimes bogged down by his more logical side but it was there. No one could shoot off Jigen's sense of humor, Lupin decided.

The pair snuck out the back, unmindful of the high and shrill whir of the alarm bell that went off when Lupin, arms full, kicked open the fire door. They placed their stacks of artwork in the cop car's trunk and hopped into the back seat. Lupin reached through the window and slapped the roof with a pair of metallic thunks. He and Jigen were laughing hard and playfully shoving one another.

"We did pretty good. Not too bad of a gig. For a glorified panty raid, that is." Jigen commented and there was genuine appreciation there. Lupin was puffed up with pride.

"Priciest load of panties I've ever swiped!" He agreed and the pair of them guffawed again.

"Glad you two are having so much fun." Zenigata grumbled as he threw the car into drive and sped off. The wait for the two other men had been grueling on him. Every little sound or light made him jump. His heart in his throat as he watched the doors intently for any sign the two men were on their way. There had been a wave of panic when the alarms went off that hit Zenigata first before the relief of seeing Jigen and Lupin run over. Now he just had to get them out of there.

Lupin was only aware of the excitable giddiness he was experiencing like he often did after a quick enjoyable job. He recognized the stick in the mud behavior Zenigata was prone to exhibit in such situations, although he had always been on the opposite side of the law up until now. Lupin pitched his upper body forward into the front seat to playfully pinch Zenigata's cheek.

"Sure are! Now home, James, and don't spare the horses!" He teased sweetly. Jigen settled back into his seat and kicked his feet up onto passenger seat headrest. With the art safely stowed, Jigen, at last, could fish out a fresh cigarette. He lit up, contented. Zenigata waved Lupin off.

"Cut it out! I'm trying to drive here." He grumbled. Suddenly he could see the lights of police cars in the distance but they were far enough away that Zenigata was sure he could easily outrun them. "Ok. Ok. Just gotta throw them off the trail and back to the apartment. I can do this." He said softly to himself before turning sharply down a side street.

Lupin and Jigen both pitched to one side of the cabin with the sharp turn. When they righted themselves Lupin scrambled to look out the back window. Jigen on the other hand, scrutinized Zenigata.

"Why are you burning rubber out of the gate? You're driving a police cruiser, stupid! The whole point was to not look suspicious!" He spat.

"Jigen I've never done this before! I'm sorry if I don't know all your little rules of being the front car in a high speed chase!" Zenigata shot angrily back into the back seat. He kept his eyes on the road and tried to calculate his next move with the mental map of the city in his head. Jigen turned to Lupin now.

"You just had to take the short cut out the back door. We couldn't have just gone out the way we came in?"

"And walk four hundred year old art through the sewers for a block? Are you kidding me?" Lupin replied, feeling at once rubbed the wrong way. "I didn't think they'd be here so quick? It was just a fire alarm!"

"In a museum full of priceless flammable art!" Jigen intoned impatiently. The back seat was filling up with cigarette smoke clouds like heaving breaths from an angry dragon.

"Shut up!" Lupin sneered. "Anyway, Zenigata will shake 'em in no time. Won't you, Pops?"

Zenigata could hear the way Lupin was straining to be hopeful in those words.

"I'm trying Lupin," Zenigata said more calmly.

"Oh, I forgot. We're awarding points for effort on this job." Jigen interjected.

"Lay off him, would ya? He's doing his damnedest!" Lupin was raising his voice now, splitting his attention between Jigen and the pursuing lights.

"He bolted like a spooked horse. The cops would probably have just parked and gone in if Pops hadn't stepped on the gas like Andretti! So much for blending in!" The gunman fumed. He was looking forward to a quiet retreat, undetected and Zenigata had shattered their cover and dropped the trio into the sights of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.

Zenigata saw red. He didn't deserve to be treated like this. It wasn't like he knew what he was doing. Getaway driver had never been part of his job. If there was a high-speed chase it was generally him doing the chasing. Now Zenigata was mad. The man had spent years keeping his temper under control but this time he had gone too far.

It was lucky for all three men that they were on a quiet side street because at that moment Zenigata slammed on the breaks. He turned and yelled into the back seat, "I wasn't told I needed to blend in! I was told I was the getaway driver!! But is this better for you Jigen or are you gonna shut the hell up and let me drive?!?!"

Both men stared at Zenigata. Jigen considered reaching into the front seat and cuffing Zenigata upside the head. He very nearly did but bit down on his cigarette and did nothing more than look away, sneering. He wasn't going to be the bad guy in this farce of a job.

"Just do your damn job..." He spat. Lupin elected not to speak and returned his attention out the back window to see if the lights were following again.

"Fine!" Zenigata growled before turning around and slamming on the gas again. He didn't look back as he heard the two men jostled by the sudden movement in the back seat. The finesse of his driving wasn't what was important, he told himself as he barreled down the streets of Tokyo. As he swerved to avoid hitting oncoming traffic Zenigata knew he'd never look as cool as Lupin when he drove. He wouldn't even be as cool as Fujiko with her calm, collected pragmatic way of handling a car filled with thousands of dollars of stolen goods but he was going to try his damndest to get this job done. "Have we lost them yet?" He asked as he took another sharp turn down an almost too tight alley.

"Not yet," Lupin answered. The cars were about half a block behind them but their lights and sirens were still very much there. Lupin turned and began to climb over into the front of the car.

"Want me to take the wheel?" Lupin felt like a cad the moment he offered it. It was the wrong thing to say but he knew tensions were running high and he just wanted everyone to be happy. He could feel Jigen's disdainful eyes on the back of his head. His mouth was probably all but spilling over with opinions and hurtful remarks but he was taking them out on his cigarette. More clouds filled the cabin.

The instant he heard Lupin's words Zenigata turned a surprised, hurt expression on his husband. It only lasted a moment as the blare of a car horn pulled his attention back to the road and he swerved just in time to avoid the collision.

"N-no. No, I got it." He stuttered as his brow furrowed in consternation. Telling himself he had to deliver now or never, he focused on the streets. He knew this area. There was a side street this way that had a sharp turn off that was easy to miss if you didn't know it was there. That was the answer to his problem. His smile was small and hopeful as he turned the corner. A moment later he was staring in disbelief as he slammed on the breaks. The alley was blocked with chain link fencing and several signs reading that the area was a construction zone.

"Wait. Construction? This wasn't here before." He said in almost disbelief.

"Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me!" Jigen growled from the back seat. Lupin suspected he had wanted to be deadpan about it but the sharp snap of his words betrayed his anger.

"Just back up!" Lupin hadn't meant to raise his voice but it had done so unbidden. He hoped that it wouldn't send Zenigata into a panic.

"I got it..." Jigen was groaning now as if he were being nagged to answer the door. He was sitting up and rolling down the window as he began to pull his gun from the back of his belt. A few flat tires would get them out of this mess. As though startled from his revelry Zenigata jumped into action at Lupin's words.

"Yeah. Yeah, reverse. I can do that." He mumbled as he threw the car into reverse completely forgetting that Jigen was halfway out the window.

Jigen was pitched forward, his stomach being rammed into the window frame. His face hit the outside panel of the car with a hard thunk and all the wind was knocked out of him. Jigen dropped his Magnum with a metallic clatter to the pavement. When Zenigata realized what he had done he on reflex stood on the break to keep Jigen from tumbling out and this time the man snapped back to the other side of the window with a second jarring suddenness. Jigen's hat flew off. He made a syncopated 'thunk-oof, thunk-arg!" sound between the double impact on his body and the startled cries torn from his mouth, before sagging over the window, struggling to hold both his head and stomach and not fall out of the vehicle altogether. He continued to moan under his breath and fight to get air back into him. Lupin scrambled across the seat where he took Jigen by the shoulders and gingerly tried to ease him back into the car!

"Damn! Jigen, you okay?!" He called.

" _Jesus wept._..!" Jigen wheezed the expletive like a puff of poisonous gas. His nose was bleeding. Lupin distantly noticed the smashed stub of Jigen's cigarette was still stuck to his lower lip. He watched Jigen spit it out the window and was relieved he didn't see any teeth go along with it. Zenigata's first instinct was to turn around and ask if Jigen was ok but he could hear the sirens getting closer.

"Don't worry. I'm gonna get us out of here." He reassured the other men as he switched the car into drive and turned the wheel sharply. Unfortunately in his haste, he didn't turn the wheel quite enough and when he stepped in the gas he clipped the side of the building which nearly took off the bumper. The tire hit the wall a second later and the sound of the tire blowing was almost like a punch to the gut as Zenigata slammed on the breaks once more. "Shit."

"Ok, I'm calling it! Everybody out!" Lupin shouted. It came with the finality of a mother who had had enough and was sending all of her children to their rooms for a prolonged time out. He reached across Jigen and wrenched his door open before opening his own and jumping out to go to the back of the car. "We're hoofing it! Pop the trunk!"

Jigen got out as well and hurried to gather his fallen gun and hat. The patrol cars had reached the alley and were clogging the entrance now. Lupin could see the officers inside moving quickly to leave their vehicles as well. Quickly Zenigata pulled the trunk release before getting out of the car and coming around to Lupin in the back.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled. He couldn't look his love in the eyes. He felt emasculated in every way and he just wanted this to be done. "How do we get out of here?"

"Up and over." Lupin replied, tossing his head at the chain link fence. He went to open the trunk, not stopping to acknowledge Zenigata otherwise. "Make sure Jigen's alright. He hit his head."

With a quick nod, Zenigata rushed to Jigen.

"Come on. I'm gonna help ya get outta here." He said as he took Jigen's arm. Jigen wrenched his arm away, hard.

"Get your hands off me, fuckin' pig!!" He barked. Perhaps Jigen had been dazed and thought the pursuing officers had fallen upon them. Zenigata wanted to believe that. Although he knew in his heart it wasn't the case. There was a black emotion in Jigen's eyes when they raked over Zenigata's form. Then they were gone as the gunman pulled his hat down onto his head.

Suddenly bullets started to whiz through the air. They ricocheted off the trunk and Lupin dropped to the pavement with his hands protecting his head. Having no place else to go, exposed as he was on his side of the crookedly parked car, Lupin rolled underneath it, looking for cover. Jigen and Zenigata fell to the pavement as well, hiding behind the patrol car.

"Lupin!" Jigen shouted. He saw his gun on the ground and crawled to it.

"I'm ok!" Lupin called back over the arhythmic ping of gunfire "They just parted my hair a little!"

"Lupin! This ain't time for jokes!" Zenigata yelled under the car. He wasn't going to feel better until he saw that Lupin was ok. This was all his fault as far as he was concerned and there wasn't anything he could do to make things better short of getting them out of there. "Can you scoot this way or do you need me to pull you out?"

Lupin was apt to disagree though now was not the time to debate it. Lupin hesitated to crawl out, either on the far side of the car where Jigen and Zenigata were crouched or back the way he came in hopes of going for the goods in the trunk again. He knew the later was suicide but it was such a galling thought that they'd have to leave their entire score behind. Lupin continued to lay on his stomach, impotent to the problem at hand. He made a frustrated noise behind his teeth, not too dissimilar to the sound of a toddler having a tantrum. He actually kicked his feet as well, adding to the illusion. But then it was out of his system and Lupin was ready to let it go. It wasn't worth it when his two partners were at stake.

With Magnum now in hand, Jigen jumped up and began squeezing off shots, taking out each headlight and spinning LED light bar. The alleyway was quickly shrouded in darkness. The thief clambered out of hiding and made a break for the fence. Zenigata followed after seeing Lupin was unharmed. He didn't look back to check on Jigen but quickly started scaling the fence. It had been a while since he's been forced to climb a fence and he was thankful he had been training vigorously as of late. Once he got to the top he paused to check on the other men.

Lupin was already at the top and when Zenigata reached him, he urged the man to swing his legs over and drop to the other side.

"Let's go!" He said it seemingly to both men as he gesticulated wildly for Zenigata to move with one hand and reached down to Jigen who was climbing up towards them.

As Zenigata hit the ground he looked back up and, for just a moment, an icicle of jealousy ran straight through his heart. There had never been any indication that Lupin would cheat on him but he felt so awful about all this that he couldn't help but entertain the idea. Jigen and lupin had been lovers before and now Zenigata had proven himself horribly unworthy. Why wouldn't his lover leave him for the better thief? The thought was chased from his head as a bullet zinged by him and he got a good look at Jigen's face. In the dim shine of nearby streetlights, he could see Jigen had run an arm across his face and the blood from his nose had smeared across his cheek like garish war paint. He was clearly struggling to right himself after having the daylights knocked out of him but adrenaline seemed to be pushing him through. Jealousy was turned to self-loathing as he turned and ran. At least he was good at running.


	2. Chapter 2

The samurai sat in the darkness of the room. His legs and arms were folded in a powerful stance of meditation and he trained his ears upon the voices coming down the street. He heard them before they made it to the door.

"We're even deeper in the hole cause you had to buy that cop car. Had to have training wheels for your husband. Couldn't let him just drive the car we had..."

The flick of a lighter. Not Jigen's. Lupin's. It always took a few tries before catching. The jingle of keys. Goemon opened an eye just as the door swung open and the three men entered, with Lupin at the head. He had a freshly lit cigarette between his lips and his keys and lighter in hand. He let go of the doorknob and flicked on the light. His face was aglow with friendly excitement upon seeing Goemon seated upon the sofa.

"Goemon! You made it! Didn't know if you were going to!" He hailed.

"I apologize for not arriving sooner." Goemon said simply. He saw Jigen come in behind Lupin. He had something dark tarnishing the sleeve of his coat and a matching smear across his cheek and upper lip. Goemon could see a few dried drops of blood suspended in his beard like morbid beads. Goemon's brow furrowed. Lupin waved Goemon's words off.

"Don't worry about it. If I knew you'd be here so early we would have waited for you. Some pretty little geishas you missed out on!" He teased. A vulgar little smile held Lupin's cigarette in place. The man was happy go lucky as usual despite, by Goemon's observations, the apparent less than ideal circumstances.

Goemon couldn't help the blush that overtook his face. He knew the nature of the art they had been tasked with stealing and while he had not dawdled, Goemon had not rushed to Tokyo either. The moral quandary of subject matter so traditionally relevant yet so impure had required further mediation. Just enough coincidentally, to miss the train that would have gotten him into the city on time. He told himself that the importance of his training meant it had to be that way.

Zenigata wasn't saying anything. He hung his head and had taken the abuse Jigen had doled out silently the whole way home. It was inevitable that they were going to give Goemon an update of the night and Zenigata just couldn't listen to a play by play of how he'd messed up again.

"I'm going to bed." He mumbled to his lover then started to their room.

"No, you ain't." Jigen intoned from the kitchen where he was washing the blood off his face with an old washcloth. "I ain't done ragging on you and you broke my nose so sit the hell down."

"How many times do I gotta say I'm sorry? I screwed up. I know. It's my fault and I didn't mean to get you hurt." Zenigata shot back. His voice has gone dangerously low but he did look at Jigen with sympathetic eyes.

Jigen tossed the washcloth on the sink where it made a splat sound from the impact. He came around the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. "I don't want your damn apologies. I want you to figure out how you can help the group and not just be a burden."

"What the hell do you think I'm trying to do?!" The older man's face was starting to turn red with anger and he took another step towards the gunman.

"The mission did not go as planned?" Goemon observed. He kept his eye on Lupin who shook his head apologetically and shrugged. He turned to the other two men and stepped between them.

"Hey hey, everybody relax!" He said with an affability that didn't match the atmosphere. He held his hands up to either side "Okay so yeah. We may have screwed the pooch on this one a bit, but we all got out alive. That's worth something, right?"

Lupin hoped he could placate the men and smooth things over enough to get through the evening.

"Not much." Jigen countered. A finger was pointed at Zenigata with the same leveled threat of Jigen's magnum. "He wasn't ready. It should have just been us two."

Zenigata took a step back. The gleam in Jigen's eyes was mean and he didn't really want to make things worse but he had to defend himself.

"You didn't help! You just kept yelling at me! You could have tried to help me!"

"You're a grown goddamn man. You shouldn't need any help!" The gunman shot back. He took a breath and waved Zenigata away like he was inconsequential. "Ya know what. This is a good thing. When we run out of rent you'll get to sleep in the Fiat for a week. That'll help your man's attitude, Lupin."

"Attitude? The hell do you mean 'attitude'!?" Lupin felt himself bristling. He knew Jigen was in pain and frustrated but the only person he could see with any type of bad attitude was Jigen himself.

"This 'poor me' bullshit!" Jigen answered turning on Lupin. "None of us had our hands held in the beginning and he's older than all of us. Time to cut the apron strings, Lupin." He said before turning back to the kitchen and opening the refrigerator. "Damn it, I need a drink."

Lupin wanted to fire back at Jigen. He wanted to inform him that while it was true that no one had done the men any favors at the earliest stages of their careers, that was mostly because they hadn't been blessed with such mentors. He was sure there was nothing the Jigen of twenty years ago wouldn't have given to have such a precious resource. Inexperience may have even been a factor in what had kept him and Lupin clinging so close when they were younger in the first place. He wished he could put it in a way that Jigen could understand but the man was distracted by the pain of his nose - a nose that Lupin believed was not at all broken but rather a hyperbolic complaint of a little blood - and the bruising of his pride.

Instead, the thief leaned into what he saw as an opportunity to calm things down. Lupin had high hopes in the lubricating powers of alcohol in both good and bad times and sometimes Jigen was more apt to hear a differing opinion after a few drinks. Lupin nodded his head deliberately.

"I think we all do. Tensions are running high." Lupin agreed. He moved with long gliding steps into the kitchen where he turned Jigen away from the refrigerator. He snatched up the bottle of San Pellegrino inside before closing the door. He oozed his well practiced charm, knowing exactly how much was too much for Jigen and not laying it on too thick. Lupin tossed his head in Goemon's direction. "And Goemon's in town! All the boys back together again! We should celebrate that. There's that little wine bar in Sangenjaya. You like that place, don't you? If we're going broke anyway, we might as well go broke drinking, right?"

Lupin moved with his quick signature grace and it was barely ten seconds later before he had retrieved a bottle of aspirin from the cupboard and poured a glass of the soda water which he offered to Jigen. There was no scotch to speak of left in the apartment but Lupin hoped that the bubbles would have a placebo effect on Jigen and relax him. He also offered a few white tablets from the aspirin bottle like a peace offering.

After a moment, Jigen took the pills from Lupin's hand then grabbed the water. He knew that was compliance in Lupin's language but he just didn't see the point in fighting when Lupin put on the cheery face.

The jealous feeling was back and it caused a pit deep in Zenigata's stomach. Did he and Lupin mesh as well as his husband did with Jigen? It was like watching a choreographed piece that two dancers had done for years. Zenigata swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth and looked down at the floor.

Lupin was definitely pleased with himself by the way he wrinkled his nose in a show of puckish delight. It was as if the botched job had never even happened for him. Lupin clapped a hand down on Jigen's shoulder, the touch of acknowledgment from a comrade, and began to stride to Zenigata.

"Very good. Now, go change your coat, brush your hair and the four of us will all sit down for a nice drink." He instructed over his shoulder.

"You go on. I'm going to bed." Zenigata answered before turning and heading to their bedroom. He didn't dare look at Lupin. A little voice in his head whispered that he could leave. Pack up while Lupin was out with the others and slip away. Return to his old life and forget this all happened. He knew he couldn't. He loved his husband far too much for that. The thought of being separated was enough to break his heart.

Lupin stopped in his tracks. He watched Zenigata go and Lupin's own jovial mood melted away. He knew how much Zenigata was beating himself up over all this. Jigen hadn't helped but ever hopeful Lupin believed that he could fix things given enough time. Based on the rounded slump of Zenigata's morose stance, he was beginning to think he was wrong about that.

"Pops. Don't be that way, darling..." He called after him. Zenigata didn't answer or turn. He just shut the door behind him as he disappeared into their bedroom. Jigen harumphed and the smile on his face had a hint of meanness under it.

"Let him mope. He'll get over it."

"Well, I'm not going without him. He needs this just as much as any of us." Lupin turned and gave Jigen a glare. Jigen shrugged his jacket off as he headed for his own room.

"Fine by me. Let him ruin the rest of your night like he already ruined the first half of it. If ya change your mind, you know where we'll be."

Lupin gave a puff of hot breath through his nose. He didn't want this to escalate into a fight so he held his tongue but Lupin couldn't help but feel like for once he wasn't the master of his domain. Goemon stood and began to approach the door.

"Come on! You too?"

"I am in no position to take sides." Goemon explained. He paused then turned a perfectly placid eye on the thief. "You will join us when you can?"

It was Goemon's way of saying he respected Lupin's choice to stick with his husband and a silent vote of confidence in Lupin's ability to bring Zenigata out of the doldrums. It meant a lot. Lupin softened a bit.

"Sure thing." He said with a touch of both gratitude and resignation. There was a perfunctory nod and then Goemon stepped out of the apartment to wait for Jigen on the street. Lupin moved down the hall and entered his bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him.

Zenigata sat on the edge of their bed, his elbows braced on his knees and his head in his hands. He had already removed his jacket, tie and shirt and tossed them over a chair that sat in the corner. He felt more than he heard Lupin enter the room and looked up almost ashamed to be caught wallowing in his own self pity.

"You changing before you go out?" He asked casually as he began to take off his socks. He kept his eyes trained to the task at hand.

"I'm not going anywhere without my husband." Lupin intoned firmly. Down the hall, he heard the front door open and shut again. There went Jigen. Lupin breathed a sigh of relief. He could work better dealing with one man at a time, he told himself, and Jigen was being a stubborn ass. With any luck, he could console himself and be back to normal by morning.

A heavy sigh left Zenigata as he visibly slumped. He dropped his sock on the floor next to its mate and he rubbed over his eyes with one hand. A soft growl escaped him and he grumbled: "This whole thing was a mistake."

Lupin at once rushed to cross the room to him. He dropped to a knee and bent his head to try and catch Zenigata's eye.

"Hey now. Don't say that. It was your first try. Everybody has hiccups when they're learning." Lupin said soothingly. He ran his hand along Zenigata's arm and gave him a grin, far too big to be real but in hopes of coaxing a smile from Zenigata in turn. "Do you have any idea how many times I had my butt handed to me when I first started out?"

Zenigata peeked through his fingers at Lupin.

"Yeah well, you were younger. You had time to make mistakes." He said looking down at Lupin. Finally, he moved his hand away from his face and hung his head. "What kind of a husband am I if I can't take care of you?"

Lupin made a mock stern face. His eyebrows both went up and it was an expression like a father ready to give a talking to a child who already knew they did wrong.

"None of that." He insisted sternly. Lupin took Zenigata's face in his hands and lifted it to look at him with gentle caring eyes. "You are a mighty fine husband. Better than any crooked thief like me deserves anyhow..."

Lupin took the victory of seeing Zenigata's expression twitch to humble gratitude for a moment at the comment. When Zenigata's eyes shifted down and away, Lupin pressed on. He wanted a smile and Lupin The Third always got what he was after.

"And we're partners. God, do you have any idea how crazy it is to say that? It makes me feel ten feet tall. You will take care of me in your own way. And in the meantime, I'll take care of you. That's what partners do."

Zenigata gave a deep resigned sigh and reached up to place a hand on Lupin's. He smiled softly.

"At least I know this wasn't a mistake." Leaning forward he placed a kiss on Lupin's forehead. "So. What are we gonna do about me? I can't just lean on you forever."

Lupin could have melted into his shoes. Love was wonderful and it never lost its charms but Lupin fought to not be completely struck dumb by it. His husband needed him after all and Lupin's mind had to be in top form if they were to hurdle this problem. Lupin sat on the bed beside Zenigata and put an arm around the man's shoulders.

"Simple. We are just going to find a way to get you thinking like a thief!" He said it as if it were the clearest thing in the world. Even after all these years, Zenigata felt he wasn't completely on Lupin's wavelength. He gave a little roll of his eyes but there was still a small smile on his lips. His weight was leaned into Lupin.

"And how do you suggest we do that?"

Lupin leaned his weight back, giving a playful little push with his shoulders.

"Come on, old man. It can't be that hard to think of HOW to be a thief. Your whole career was knowing how we think. You've got to have something that gets you into the headspace" He chided. He looked at Zenigata expectantly but when he saw no flash of inspiration in the man's face, his own grappled with uncertainty and surprise. "Nothing?"

As always Lupin was flying by the seat of his pants. He assumed Zenigata had a switch he could flip in the back of his head that told him just what a thief like Lupin would do. There were admittedly a few chases where it felt that way. Now though, it seemed as if saying you'd do it and doing it was separated by a yawning gap. Zenigata shook his head.

"I didn't spend my career thinking like thieves. I spent my career thinking like you." He corrected with a little half smile. "And still it was like thinking in reverse. How you did it was less important than where you were ending up. I don't know how to think like a criminal."

Lupin would never get over the fact that Zenigata had always been so devoted strictly to him, even long before their feelings came to light. Some might call it conceited but it made him happy. Lupin pursed his lips, thinking. He tried to approach the problem from a new angle.

"How about this? Have you thought about not thinking like a criminal but just acting like one?" He asked. The first reaction Zenigata had was to shoot down this idea also but he paused.

"Act like a criminal. Huh." He said out loud. The gears had begun to turn. Zenigata was wearing that introspective look that Lupin had come to know meant something had caught in a mental mousetrap in the former inspector's head and was being examined thoroughly. Zenigata might call it a cop's hunch. This emboldened Lupin. He hopped to his feet and stood on display for Zenigata.

"Sure! Fake it til you make it! Come on Pops. There's gotta be an example you can follow. A criminal element you could emulate. Somebody shady and roguish but with their own sense of honor. They do things their own way and damned be the consequences! I'm sure you can think of one prominent example." Lupin noted. He put extra emphasis on certain words to make his hints more marked and couldn't help but puff himself up with pride as he named off his own apparent virtues. It was cute to think of Zenigata asking himself 'What would Lupin do?' and at once finding the confidence he was so lacking. Lupin held his chin on his bent fingers and presented Zenigata with a handsome, impish profile. He waited for Zenigata to make the connection and pick up the bread crumbs he was leaving for him. It took only one more moment before it all clicked together for Zenigata. He smiled up at Lupin and finally there was hope in his eyes.

"Of course!" He said as he snapped his fingers. "Yakuza!"

All the wind was taken from Lupin's sails. It had been the last thing he had expected Zenigata to land on. It was surprisingly a blow to Lupin's ego.

"I was talking about me, you know..." Lupin grumbled. He tried to gather himself and be optimistic for his husband's sake."But...I can work with that."

Lupin did his best to reconcile his expectations with the given answer. Yakuza did have a code in their way. Most of the ones Lupin had dealt with were pompous bullies but Zenigata was probably pulling his example at least partly from the movies, back in the sixties when they were called "chivalry films". Righteous outlaws, hard won stories of honor. There was no way Zenigata hadn't dealt with real yakuza in his career so he most likely knew better but if some idealized version of a yakuza helped his husband to visualize what being a criminal with a sense of duty could be, Lupin wouldn't further correct him.

"Oh! Uhhh... I mean..." Zenigata fumbled. it seemed like he couldn't do anything right tonight. He took his lover's hands in his and gave the best apologetic smile he could. "I could never be you. The yakuza are a little more attainable." He flattered.

Lupin couldn't help the swell of egotistical pride at being told an entire facet of the Japanese underworld couldn't hold a candle to him. He reminded himself that this wasn't about him.

"Way more than attainable. You could do the yakuza act with your eyes closed." He agreed with a brash little smile. Zenigata perked up like a golden retriever being told he was going for a walk.

"Really? Like Ken Takakura?" His smile was bright and contagious. Lupin was charmed by Zenigata's sudden enthusiasm. The thief confirmed his earlier hunch that Zenigata's outlook on the perfect criminal came from those old school flicks.

Lupin was surprisingly well versed in retro crime movies because of Goemon, of all people. Lupin had been sworn to secrecy on the fact that the samurai was an avid movie fan. Among his favorites were period gangster films. They were always some variation on the same theme; the Imperial solder or the hard-hearted bandit returning home to a village beset upon by evil gangs or a lady-love whose honor needed to be defended and the buckets of blood resulting in the protagonist taking the law into his own hands. They were not Lupin's particular cup of tea but he had found himself on the couch beside a riveted Goemon many a time watching 'Red Peony Gambler' or 'Brutal Tales Of Chivalry'. Of course in the center of it all like pillars of stalwart cliche maniless were actors like Takakura. Now that Lupin thought about it they were the perfect role model for Zenigata to latch onto.

"You kidding? He wishes he could be YOUR stunt double." Lupin laughed boastfully. Zenigata chuckled and rubbed his thumb over Lupin's knuckles.

"Now you're just flattering me for no reason." He admonished but he gave Lupin a grateful sidelong smile. "Stick to the point. Me acting like yakuza. That might still be a stretch."

Lupin wanted to tell Zenigata that all the flattery for its own sake was the point. Zenigata's confidence had really taken a blow as of late and Lupin wanted to encourage it. Lupin was laying it on a little thick but it was working and Lupin enjoyed the indulgence of getting carried away sometimes. He took a heavy seat beside Zenigata again. The bed gave a little bounce as he settled his weight in.

"Stretch nothing. You're sure, you're unflinching. You'd knock it out of the park." Lupin leaned back a bit then and scrutinized Zenigata, chin held thoughtfully in his hand and eyes traveling up and down the other man. "And the more I think about it, you've got the look. Yes Indeed..."

There was a lecherous streak in Lupin's tone and stance. A blush ran across Zenigata's cheeks as he looked at Lupin a bit incredulously. He knew Lupin's moods and body language but now seemed like an odd time to get frisky.

"Cut it out. Wasn't this morning after my run enough for you?" He asked almost shyly.

"Why should I cut it out?" Lupin teased. He dipped his head and kissed Zenigata's neck, sampling the flesh there and liking the taste. When he spoke again, it was a breathy little trouble maker's voice "Is the big bad gangster gonna make me?"

A small thrill ran through Zenigata's body. His neck was his Achilles' heel and his husband knew it. One hand came to rest on Lupin's knee.

"What are you getting at? It's been a rough night. I'm not in the mood." That was a lie. There were very few times he wasn't in the mood for intimacy but now just seemed a tad odd.

Lupin knew that when he was down in the dumps nothing cheered him up like a little hanky panky. Plus he wanted to give Zenigata's morale a little boost. All the sweet talk and play-acting was something he had learned well from Fujiko and if Lupin were half the sex kitten she was, Zenigata would soon have no complaints. Lupin got up on the bed to kneel behind Zenigata. He began to rub Zenigata's shoulders, seeking out knots and breaking them with firm but not too firm circular movements.

"Oh, you've had a long day protecting your turf, haven't you? That can be tiring for a big strong guy like you. When you're as tough and powerful as all that you've always got young punks coming out of the woodwork looking to make a name for themselves..." Lupin's voice was dripping honey now as he leaned around to speak in Zenigata's ear. Zenigata was quickly becoming putty in Lupin's hands. His eyes slid shut and he groaned at the wonderful feeling of his love's hands.

"Mmm. Young punks like you?" He teased as he leaned back into Lupin's touch. Lupin held back a little giggle and continued the massage, traveling from Zenigata's shoulders to his neck and the base of his skull.

"Oh no. Definitely not. I admire you too much for that. If I ever disrespected you I'd happily cut off my little finger if that'd make you happy." He cooed. He was over exaggerating to an almost comedic level but he felt emboldened by what could have been Zenigata taking a tentative step into playing with him and hoped to keep Zenigata distracted from his sour mood with it. "More than anything I'd want to JOIN your gang. I need guidance from a man who knows the underworld in and out like you do."

Dark eyes opened at that. Zenigata turned his head to better scrutinize Lupin. Clearly, the thief was trying to start some little game. His husband's playful nature wasn't something Zenigata was unaware of but playful was not a word anyone would use to describe the former inspector. It was often a bit of a struggle for him to indulge his lover with this kind of thing but he felt he'd been a real disappointment tonight and this was the least he could do.

A smirk spread across his face and Zenigata affected the posture of an older syndicate member. His shoulders went back and chest flared. He planted his feet firmly on the floor with his legs spread and his hands on his knees. Every inch the yakuza boss. "You think you can handle it, kid?"

Lupin bit back another near squeal of laughter. It was admittedly a bit goofy to see Zenigata taking a turn at playing the bad boy. His usual brashness always contained a streak of the boy scout in it; vindication for the greater good. And while this stance and the cocky smirk were things Lupin had seen Zenigata sport before (usually in bragging way upon capturing Lupin for the umpteenth victorious if not brief time) it held none of the childish optimism Lupin had come to expect. It excited Lupin blackly. He folded his hands in a pleading gesture and repeatedly bowed his head appreciatively.

"A powerful mentor like you could work me to the bone and I'd thank you for it. Please, sir..." He mock groveled. Zenigata turned at the waist as though he wanted a better look at the other man. Lupin's little play groveling was very cute and Zenigata had to admit it aroused something dark in him.

"And if I did make you my koban you'd do everything I told ya to?" one hand ran appreciatively down Lupin's flank.

Lupin's skin rippled with gooseflesh under his slacks at both the physical touch and the way the yakuza honorific seemed to settle over him. Lupin fancied himself a romantic first but he would admit the accusations of being a pervert that had been hurled at him over the years were not untrue. Romance had its time but this delicate dance was that of the profane and he had coaxed Zenigata into it. It was less the scenario of a lowly up and commer winning over his potential superior by any means that necessarily turned Lupin on. That was a fairly flat storyline that Lupin had read time and again in Penthouse Forum ("Dear Penthouse, I used to think your letters were fake but then I kidnapped the policeman who was supposed to arrest me and now he gives me the business every night. Tale as old as time." Lupin thought with tongue-in-cheek amusement.) But rather, it was Zenigata willingness to participate and how easily and effectively he settled into the role. The whole thing was an obvious setup and Lupin was not above walking right into it.

"Why, of course. Undying loyalty. What a privilege for a young punk like me. I couldn't ask for more." Lupin lowered his head as if in humility but looked up through his eyelashes at Zenigata with something a bit more audacious. "Whatever it is, just give the word and I'll do it. Anything for you, Oyabun."

What a surprise to Zenigata that his heart could pound faster. The effect that name had on him was almost immediate. He was half hard and twitching in his slacks. If this is what playing Lupin's games and indulging his whims meant, he'd do it more often.

"Get off the bed. Stand in front of me. I wanna good look at ya." There was no-nonsense in the way he said it.

Lupin all scurried off the bed and stood at attention before Zenigata. He clamped his hands to his sides at first, then folded them behind his back, standing with legs akimbo. He had a great big grin on his face, happily anticipating what was to come next. He bounced his eyebrows a bit in excitement. He did his best to keep it under wraps and act every bit the soldier awaiting inspection.

A small smile that was purely Zenigata crept over the older man's face but he squashed it down. Yes, he was playing Lupin's game. Yes, this didn't happen often so he didn't have a ton of practice but he was going to try. He pushed it aside and adopted that stern demeanor. He leaned forward as though to better inspect the man in front of him, one elbow resting on his knee.

Zenigata's dark eyes stared at Lupin's right foot and moved up Lupin's side. The weight of his look was heavy as it moved upwards. When their eyes met Zenigata gave him a dark predatory look before moving down the other side. It occurred to Zenigata that he was doing something he'd never done with Lupin before. Not as enemies and not as lovers. He was making Lupin wait.

Lupin had never felt pinned down by Zenigata's gaze before. He had been glowered at by the man from the front seat of cop cars and with bars separating him and had barely flinched. It was something he could do standing on his head and if it would annoy Zenigata, he would. Lupin didn't know if it was Zenigata's stance or the new sexual light the gaze implied but now the thief was being examined with amazingly intense scrutiny. It was disarming and Lupin felt his cheeks going hot. He wanted to loosen his tie but dared not, lest he ruin his role in the game.

The thief's excitement was mixing with anticipation and he loved it. Only Zenigata knew what would happen next and that was intriguing to Lupin. He often took the lead in the bedroom as a matter of course. Lupin just knew what to do and did it. Now he was interested to know what Zenigata could do when allowed to spread his wings in a safe place. Lupin only half acted like he was embarrassed by the sharp look.

"Why are you staring like that, Oyabun?" He asked softly.

"You don't ask questions. You just do what I say if you're gonna be my koban." Zenigata's voice was authoritative and he didn't miss a beat. There was no anger in it. Just a laying down of the law. "Now. Take off your coat and tie. I can't see if you got any muscle with all that on." The older man leaned back a bit propping himself up on one well-muscled arm.

Now the show was getting on the road. Lupin set to work at once. He pulled the coat from his shoulders and tossed it away. His tie followed quickly and Lupin undid the top two buttons of his shirt for good measure. He almost asked if Zenigata liked what he saw but bit his tongue, remembering the instructions he had just been given.

Zenigata gave Lupin another once over. Slow and deliberate. He wanted to palm his growing erection through his pants but didn't want to ruin the effect he had started. "Shirt off. Step closer."

Lupin's hands lingered on the buttons a moment. His breath came a bit more shallow and then Lupin quickly made work of the shirt. He stripped the shirt away from one shoulder then the other with deliberate slowness. It pooled around Lupin's waist and he gently worked it free of his slacks and threw it away. He removed his undershirt also and dropped it at his feet unheeded. The thief took one step closer as instructed. He was close but still not close enough to touch. He looked down at Zenigata, his lips parted slightly, anticipation painted plainly on his features. Zenigata reached out and grabbed one of Lupin's belt loops.

"Closer." He commanded as he pulled the man forward. With Lupin closer, he ran one hand over that creamy smooth chest. "You ready to take on all the responsibilities as my koban? Do you want this?" He asked gruffly.

Lupin felt his flesh all but light up with electric pleasure. He shivered and that had nothing to do with the role he was playing. Zenigata's eyes were raking over Lupin's body and the thief felt like he was being observed and petted like a prized songbird in a gilded cage. It enticed him to sing.

"More than anything. Please, Oyabun..." He mewled. His sweet placating tone did not match the dark look of want in his eyes. Zenigata could feel his lover all but vibrating under his hands. He looked up at Lupin with unveiled lust.

"Get on your knees and show me." He said letting go of the man and leaning back on the bed with his hands pressed to the mattress. Lupin dropped to his knees and began to work Zenigata's belt open. He looked up into Zenigata's face and held in a delighted little hum. He leaned in to capture Zenigata's lips with his own. A strong hand shot out and grabbed at the short hairs at Lupin's crown. It held Lupin just far enough away that he couldn't reach his husband.

"Not yet. You haven't earned it." Zenigata growled close to those tempting lips. "Now use that mouth to show me your dedication."

Lupin worried his lower lip. A whimper escaped Lupin and it was all at once surprised, frustrated and entertained.

"Oh man..." He half chuckled and half moaned. He caught himself falling out of character and eagerly added "Yes sir."

Lupin set back to work, spiritedly opening Zenigata slacks and pulling his hardness from them. He lowered his head and took Zenigata into his mouth. He suckled the head shallowly before starting at the bottom of his cock and running his tongue up to the top. He tilted his head to one side and kissed the shaft open mouthed. His eyes flicked up to watch his lover intently. His lips still formed that little cat-like smile as they mouthed the firm hot flesh.

A soft moan slipped past Zenigata's lips. Lupin had a smart mouth and that translated into these intimate moments too. It was almost enough to make him break composure but he caught himself before he moaned Lupin's name. He held Lupin's look and growled softly. "That's it... "

"Thank you, Oyabun..." Lupin breathed into the hot flesh. This was fun in the most debauched way, doubly so because he had gotten Zenigata to come along. Lupin had taught the former inspector plenty both in and out of bed in the more than five years they had become romantically entangled and it never failed to astound Lupin how Zenigata dove in headfirst given the right circumstances. He admired that in him.

Lupin closed his mouth on Zenigata and slowly worked to take as much as he could in. He didn't move to set a rhythm at first, just swallowed Zenigata down as far as he could and let his lover bask in the wet warmth of him. He swallowed and the muscles of his throat flexed on Zenigata's cock, adjusting to the intrusion. That wrenched a deep moan from Zenigata's throat. His head tilted back and he closed his eyes to focus on the feeling.

"Yes. Good." he breathed before looking back at Lupin. One hand came down to caress the back of Lupin's head. "Look at me. Look at me, Kobun."

Lupin's eyes rolled up in his head and locked with Zenigata's. His mouth wide open and full, Lupin was sure he looked like a view out of a particularly tasteless wet dream. He reveled in it. He swallowed again, slurping a bit this time and exhaling through his nose to bathe his lover's bare skin with hot breath. Then he deliberately began to move, never breaking eye contact. He almost hoped it would make Zenigata break character. It did just that. Zenigata blushed and moaned: "You're so damn good. You're perfect."

He always heaped platitudes on Lupin and now was no different. It took him a moment to pull himself back together and remember what he was doing.

"That's a good koban." He was leering at Lupin now, his hips bucking ever so slightly. "I knew you'd have a greedy little mouth the minute I looked at you."

Lupin held Zenigata's hips steady but massaged the skin peeking out of his slacks with his thumbs as a kind of consolation. His head bobbed with measured rhythm. He hummed a pleasured sound in hopes of the vibration riding down Zenigata's shaft. One of Lupin's hands wandered up Zenigata's stomach under the hem of his white undershirt. His fingertips brushed softly up over the ridges of Zenigata's new abs, not defined but hard under the skin and over the slight curve of a pectoral. The runs and daily use of the free weights Zenigata had used to occupy his time with over the last year had sure paid off, Lupin thought appreciatively. The thief flicked his thumb over a pebble hard nipple on the trip back down. He trailed his palm back over Zenigata's still clothed thigh and knee and Lupin efficiency opened his own belt and fly single-handed. He reached into his pants and rubbed himself through his boxers. All the while, Lupin's head continued to bob and he moaned around the cock in his mouth.

Zenigata's thighs shook as Lupin teased his nipple, his eyes closing once again as the thief's moans vibrated around him. The clink of Lupins belt opening brought him back and he watched his lover touch himself while Zenigata removed his undershirt. He caught sight of himself in the mirror then. The vision before him was obscene and it only fanned the flames of his ardor. Zenigata with his newfound muscles and a half naked Lupin bobbing his head in an unmistakable movement. The scene could be considered closer to softcore as he couldn't see either of their sexes but that almost made it that much more erotic. He growled as Lupin took him all the way down his throat again. It was almost more than he could handle. He pulled Lupin off his cock and kissed him hard, thick fingers threading through that tightly cropped hair.

Lupin opened his mouth into the kiss. The flavor of Zenigata's sex was pungent on his tongue and he wanted the former inspector to taste it. It was a cheap little turn on but Lupin was feeling wonderfully cheap tonight.

"I've always been very attracted to forceful men..." Lupin joked breathlessly then dove in for another kiss. His pulse was racing. He let Zenigata pull him up into his lap and drank in the kisses with a greedy need. Lupin's hands wandered all over any available skin his lover had on display. Lupin did all he could with his hands and mouth to make Zenigata feel like he was the center of the universe, which in all fairness, to Lupin he was. His lover wanted to be as far as possible from his perceived missteps tonight. They were not poor and stricken by failure in this room. Lupin would make sure they were rich and powerful and sexy.

Lupin toed his shoes off and rolled off of Zenigata's knee to lay back on the bed. He propped himself up on his elbows and beckoned Zenigata to him for more burning kisses. Zenigata surged forward and kissed Lupin hard. He pushed the other man down on the bed and made him bear his weight. Lupin's slender wrists were grabbed in both of Zenigata's hands and pressed hard into the bed. He bit Lupin's lower lip as he pulled away. The other man brought out something dark in him and it turned him on to no end. "You like being under me. Don't you? Say it."

Lupin squirmed a bit. It was not a bid to be let go. Rather, Lupin could feel Zenigata's crotch pressed to his own and he was aching for the friction of movement on his throbbing member.

"I love it. I want to be under you more than anything..." He gasped. His eyes were hazy with lust and he didn't dare look away from Zenigata. Humiliation and pain were not fun to Lupin in the best of situations and that extended into the bedroom. While the man would try anything once, not everything was worth being tried twice. Although a little restraint and power play had infinite charms when applied liberally. It was like sugar added to coffee. Too much could spoil the cup but just enough made for complex sweetness and strength that had a way of scratching the itch.

"Good cause that's where I want you." He growled before kissing Lupin hard. He pulled away after and proceeded to roughly yank off Lupin's pants and boxers and tossed them aside. He didn't bother with his black dress socks. There was something sexy about it. Like a woman in black stockings. One big hand ran up the sock covered calf and the creamy soft thigh. He hovered over Lupin before leaning down and kissing Lupin's neck.

"I can tell you're gonna be a good koban. That I won't need to punish you." He said in a deep throaty voice between sucking kisses to that long lean throat. "I can reward you all the time. Do you wanna know how Oyabun will reward you?"

Lupin's whole frame was awash in pins and needles. Zenigata could be downright earth-shaking when he gave himself up to the moment. In a way, it was like the passion of their chase which now felt long ago. Zenigata was at his best when he let his feelings steer him.

"I want to know..." Lupin echoed. He ran his palms over Zenigata's back and shoulders with slow sensual passes. He pushed one leg between Zenigata's and undulated his hardness on the former inspector's still clothed thigh.

"I'll make you quiver with my reward. You'll beg for it day and night. Your big rough oyabun taking you every chance I get." Zenigata rumbled as he pushed back against Lupin's rutting. He wanted to undo Lupin. He wanted to watch the thief fall to bits. "Do you want that? Do you wanna take me inside you?"

"I want it..." Lupin happily mewled. This had all started as a rude little ploy to take Zenigata's mind off the world at large but now Lupin found himself getting wrapped up in the fantasy he had started.

"Do you really want it?" Zenigata teased. "I'm a passionate man. Once you're mine I won't let anyone else lay a hand on you. My sweet little koban." He ground down hard against Lupin. Lupin moaned low and long, trailing off into a thick swallowing sound. He held Zenigata's jaw in both hands and kissed the man's temples and brow.

"Pah-" Lupin started then caught himself "Oyabun... Please..."

A smile spread across Zenigata's face. He had made Lupin break and there was something rewarding about that. "Spread those pretty legs, sweetheart. Show me how much you want this." He knelt up on the bed and looked down at Lupin.

Lupin uncurled himself from where he was holding onto Zenigata with all available limbs. He laid on his back and opened his legs wide. He hitched one knee up onto the bed and let his other hang over the edge. He caressed his inner thigh with soft up and down movements. He even went as far as to let his hand rest around the base of his hard cock. Lupin was being watched and he loved it. He rolled his head down against the bedspread to look obliquely at his lover. The move was a play at modesty but there was mischief in his eyes.

"That's it. Don't be shy. Show me how much you want it." Zenigata stepped off the bed and removed the rest of his clothes. He let Lupin look at him naked and erect standing by the bed. He reached into the dresser drawer and took out the tube of lube and tossed it on the bed beside Lupin.

Lupin scooped it up at once. He had wanted Zenigata to prep him fast and hard and take him as quickly as possible but now that he was presented with an order to put on a show, the thief bit down on his frustration and was the picture of unquestioning obedience.

Lupin flicked open the cap with his thumb and instead of taking his opposite hand off his length to distribute the lube onto his fingers, Lupin held the tube up over himself and squeezed a thin rope of the lubrication out where it fell onto the head of his cock. Lupin shivered and made a surprised little noise at its coolness but didn't touch it. He let it roll down the heated skin and reach his fingers at the base. Lupin spread the wet slipperiness over his fingers by lightly stroking himself a few times and on the final soft pass down, he slipped his fingers past his testicles and under to push two fingers in at once. The thief rolled his shoulders into the bed and moaned in an airy way. He began to twist and move his fingers at once with gentle persistence. He bent his leg up for better reach and also to give Zenigata a better view, all the while making soft pleasurable sounds. He pushed his fingers in and out after a few minutes of probing. He could feel himself becoming more pliable, readying himself for the former inspector. Lupin's free hand played up his hip and stomach with feather-light touches and he began to tease his nipple.

"How am I doing, Oyabun?" Lupin asked, knowing exactly how he was affecting the other man. Lupin had a way of painting a picture. He was the ready and willing but green recruit with so much to learn, craving the attention and approval of the man before him and surprising himself with how good all this dirtiness felt in the process. The eyes on him only heightened the aphrodisiac effect of the physical bliss. Lupin distantly thought they must play this game again sometime. A possessive hand ran down Lupin's thigh and gripped lightly.

"So good, Koban. So beautiful. So perfect." Zenigata said in a voice dark and thick like molasses. "Are you ready for me?"

"Yes. I need you now." Lupin nodded. He wasn't playing when he said that. His impatience had been a formidable foe and he was glad he didn't have to fight it anymore. Lupin removed his finger and sat up, propping himself up on his elbows. Zenigata leaned down and kissed Lupin. It was a deep needy kiss and at that moment he couldn't think of a time he had needed Lupin more. One of his well-muscled arms went around Lupin's waist. The other grabbed a thigh and he picked his lover up off the bed entirely.

"Wrap your legs around my waist." He instructed between needy kisses. Lupin did as he was told. He also wrapped his arms around Zenigata's shoulders and clung. He could feel the hard muscles beneath the skin brought up from his husband's months of working out. Like everything else, Zenigata dove headfirst into whatever he set his mind to and it had clearly paid off in dividends by the ease with which Zenigata had hauled Lupin up and held him. The thief worked his mouth against Zenigata's own, leaving two short shallow kisses at the corner of Zenigata's mouth or the curve of his lower lip for every deep and long one he received. Both men needed to come up for air, but that did not curb Lupin's compulsion to shower Zenigata with affection.

The older man pressed Lupin's back to the wall. One hand found Lupin's buttocks and gripped it firmly, spreading him open. The other held his sex at the base and pressed against Lupin's tight hole. He pulled back so he could look at Lupin's face as he slowly lowered Lupin down onto his length.

"So good..." He groaned.

Lupin's breath caught in his throat and when he finally could speak all he could manage was a strangled "Oh god...". He held onto Zenigata and tried to buck, desperately needing his lover to move. Zenigata held Lupin to the wall and slowly, evenly thrust into him. Those large strong hands gripped Lupin at the juncture of buttock and thigh. His face pressed into the crook of Lupin's neck as he groaned. The lube that had been left behind in Lupin's little show slicked their stomachs as they slid together.

Lupin braced his shoulders against the wall and hung on for dear life. Already his need was strong and Lupin wanted to push back but Zenigata had him in a suspended body lock that required him to hold onto the man. Zenigata had never been quite so athletic in bed before but Lupin loved it. The slowness of Zenigata's thrusts, on the other hand, was both wonderful and infuriating. Lupin tilted his head back and panted.

"Feels... amazing..." The words were punctuated with a moan that got stuck in his throat. The fact that Zenigata had Lupin so undone and lost in the moment was truly beautiful. Zenigata had pushed Lupin close to the edge before but nothing like this. He growled in Lupin's ear:

"Cause this is where you belong, Koban. We belong together. Isn't that right?"

"Yes...!" Lupin ground it out and the word stretched and faded into another cry of passion. His mouth was working on automatic now and he couldn't help how the words spilled out. "We belong together! Please let me stay with you! I want to be with my Oyabun!"

A more sober-minded Lupin might have been embarrassed by the needy, arguably silly words pouring out of his mouth. They were porno quality shlock but the Lupin of the here and now was too deep into the passion of the moment. The thrill of the game and the way Zenigata played it. Lupin squeezed his legs against Zenigata's waist to grip it and try to move with his thrusts.

"More..." Lupin heard himself say and it was a sob of delight. Without thinking Zenigata's hips picked up the pace. The noises Lupin was making were driving him mad. Though his thrusts were faster and the position allowed him deeper inside Lupin, the power of his usual thrusts was lacking. Still, he relished the feel of Lupin tightness around him and the uninhibited show he was receiving only turned him on more. Deep breathy grunts escaped him with each deep thrust.

"Yes. Yes, Koban. You will never leave my side." He promised the man in his arms. It was not hard but every thrust was hitting the sweet spot deep inside Lupin. It made him see stars. Lupin tossed his head back and forth and moaned brokenly.

"I'll do anything... anything for that..." He panted. He kept his grip on Zenigata's shoulder and the back of his head with bruising strength and beckoned the man to his lips in an intense kiss. Before kissing Lupin, Zenigata slammed the whole way inside his lover then slid his hands up and wrapped his arms around the man's waist, effectively pinning him to the wall and impaling Lupin on his cock. He refused to move as he kissed Lupin with a heated passion he didn't know he possessed. Lupin gasped and shuddered. Zenigata was so deep inside him and it made his whole body burn with a wonderful fire. When they finally broke apart Zenigata whispered against those kiss swollen lips.

"Will you be loyal? Will you be only mine?" There were tiny grains of worry in those questions. More truth than either of them liked to admit but the lust transformed the words into something salacious. Combined with the play-acting it was a dirty indecent proposal from an older criminal to a younger man he was bringing into the fold by less than standard ways. It all turned Zenigata on to no end. He mouthed and sucked on Lupin's neck as he growled his next words. "Tell me how it feels. Tell me how you feel, Koban."

In another life, one might have accused Lupin of a similar crime; of seducing Zenigata into his brand new place outside the law. Lupin wouldn't have blamed them for that either. In a certain light that was what he had done. Lupin decided to use that. He said everything he had secretly wished to hear Zenigata tell him in the years before their marriage, between stinted moaning gasps.

"I'll be yours! I'll do anything for you...Everything for you! I'll die for you. Just teach me what you know... and I will help you take the world!" Lupin was shaking in the man's arms, clenching and unclenching around Zenigata's length. He needed the man to move. "Please... don't stop..."

Zenigata leaned into Lupin's ear and whispered: "And you'll let me take care of you?" That question reached far beyond their little game.

Lupin's eyes snapped open. His heart was pounding with emotion as well as physical need now. He urged Zenigata to look at him with persistent fingers on his scalp. Beneath the lust and sweat, Lupin had a dreamy desire in his eyes and he shot Zenigata through with it. All pretense and play was gone for just a moment.

"I will always need you to take care of me. Until my dying day." Lupin breathed. Zenigata kissed Lupin as hard as he could, groaning softly into his mouth. The answer was perfect and made him feel like the man he wanted to be for his husband. Carefully he turned back to the bed. He laid Lupin down as they continued to kiss passionately. It was then that he remembered the game that they were playing. He pulled back and panted as he looked down at the debauched image in front of him.

Taking Lupin's hands from around his neck, Zenigata brought them over the man's head. With those thin wrists crossed, Zenigata had no problem holding them in place with one large hand.

"Do you want me, Koban? Cause I want you so bad I can taste it." He gave a shallow but powerful thrust inside of Lupin and stopped again. Lupin cried out, sharp but breathy. His eyes rolled back into his head. When he recovered, his face was no longer maudlin. His voice was sure as he spoke. Lupin needed Zenigata to know he meant every word.

"I want you. I will always want you." It was Lupin who kissed Zenigata now. He unwound his legs from Zenigata's waist and planted them on the bed. He used the newfound leverage to start rocking himself on Zenigata's length. He undulated his hips and his slickened cock rubbed against Zenigata's stomach with each light twist of his body. Lupin moaned into Zenigata's mouth. Zenigata's free hand came down on Lupin's hip, stilling him. He pulled back and growled against his lover's lips.

"My koban..." and with that, he pounded into Lupin. The bed shook beneath him. Lupin gasped and moaned. This was what he had wanted that the shallow measured thrusts hadn't been able to give him before. He opened his legs wide to give Zenigata as much access as possible. He smothered Zenigata's mouth with kisses never truly silencing his groans, only switching between hummed sounds of bliss when his lips were pressed to Zenigata's and louder more ragged ones when he pulled away for breath. He bowed up and his chest rubbed Zenigata's own with a sweat sticky tempo that was incredible.

"Oya-bun..." He gushed. He twisted his wrists in Zenigata's grip, testing the strength and found it was not wanting. It was the first time in his whole life that Lupin felt he didn't want to escape Zenigata's capture. Now that Lupin was being compliant, Zenigata let go of his lover's hip and slid his hand between them. He pumped Lupins cock with the same punishing rhythm that he was using to thrust into him.

"Yes, Koban...my koban..." He panted between desperate kisses as he felt that coil of lust tighten in his guts. Lupin hooked his legs over Zenigata's furiously pumping hips and bucked into each one of his lover's thrusts. He broke their fevered kisses to push his head and shoulders back into the bed and howl with delirious pleasure.

A bark of pleasure burst from Zenigata's throat as he continued to pound into his lover. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest and the sweat collecting on his back as he did. Lupin was so tight and perfect and beautiful. The older man could feel himself twitching inside the young man, so close to the edge but not willing to go over without his lover. He buried his face in the crook of Lupin's neck and moaned loud and long at the intense pleasure racking his body.

Lupin wanted to hold back. He wanted to ride this exhilarating sensation out until the sun came up but he knew that was a fallacy. Zenigata was riding him hard and fast and there would be no quarter given. The amazing feelings rode up Lupin's spine where they built and made his body burn with gratification. Lupin locked his ankles around Zenigata and went rigid all over. He bit his lower lip and screwed his eyes closed, groaning low. Lights went off behind Lupin's eyelids and the thief plunged over the edge into completion.

The hot wetness that spilled across Zenigata's hands and stomach along with Lupin clenching so tight around him he thought he'd lose his mind was what pushed Zenigata over the edge. A few hard deep thrusts and he was emptying himself inside his lover. His thighs shook and his back bowed outward as his body tried in vain to push in deeper. Deep gasping moans poured from him as he shook, pouring his seed inside of Lupin. Finally, he collapsed onto his lover, panting and twitching in the aftermath, the feeling of electricity tingling on every nerve ending.

It wasn't until he exhaled hard did Lupin realize he had been holding his breath. Now his whole body felt heavy with gratification and he allowed his limbs to fall away from Zenigata and he laid spread eagle on the bed beneath his lover. The other man's weight was nice; comforting like climbing under a heavy blanket on a frigid day. Lupin just laid there for a time. He focused on his slow and relaxed breathing and the scents of his and Zenigata's sweat and sex.

"I love you..." He hushed. It was no longer a sacred phrase between them. Lupin had worn it out too much for it to hold any fear for them. It took a moment for Zenigata to come back to himself but he said it without even thinking.

"Love you too." The words were commonplace now but that never removed the sweetness. He groaned as he still felt the aftershocks ripple through his pelvis. Pressing his face into the side of Lupin's neck, he released Lupin's wrists only to twine his fingers in with Lupin's own.

"Well, that was new." He murmured in a gravely voice against his lover's skin. Lupin felt a smile stretch his face. He brought one of Zenigata's hands to his lips and kissed it adoringly before letting it relax against his collar bone, still held in his own.

"Certainly was." Lupin agreed in a soft musical lilt. There was no judgment there; just as placid kind of pride. "How do you feel now?"

The thief had hoped the reassurance and comfort from lovemaking would serve to help Zenigata feel better about himself. Things had certainly gotten out of hand and Lupin was decidedly pleased with it. It seemed Lupin brought out things in Zenigata neither of them knew he had. Zenigata lifted his head and studied Lupin's face for a moment. Then he kissed Lupin deeply, his hand sliding up Lupin's neck and cupping his face.

"Better. Thank you. Are you ok?" He asked once he pulled away.

"Me? I'm great!" Lupin confirmed. He breathed a chirp of laughter. 

"I got a bit rough there." Zenigata answered with a blush. As gently as he could he pulled his softening sex from his lover and moved to lay next to the other man. "Not sure what came over me. I just needed it so badly."

Lupin rolled over to observe his lover. He tucked an arm under his head.

"That is what we call seizing the moment, in the thief biz. I find it's imperative you go with the flow. That's a lesson for free." Lupin half-joked. He remembered for all the year he had on Lupin, Zenigata had not been as exposed to so many varied and exotic situations as the thief had. In or out of bed. There would be time yet for that, Lupin reminded himself with a ripple of afterglow dulled excitement. Lupin's face was flush and glowing with satisfaction and he added: "And I think you did just fine."

Zenigata looked up shyly through his lashes at Lupin. "Well, you always brought out the best in me. No matter how bad I get. Guess at least I can lean on you." He answered as he reached out and ran his hand over Lupin's arm. "You wanna shower and we can get ready for bed?"

Something about that phrase rubbed Lupin the wrong way. He knew how fiercely independent Zenigata could be at times. Hell, the whole reason this funny little sex game had occurred was because Zenigata was worried he relied too much on Lupin. Perhaps the problem seemed more distant now that the pair of them had blown off some steam but he didn't want Zenigata to rest on his laurels. Lupin loved how strong and capable his husband could be and he wanted to support him. He made sure to tuck the matter away for private contemplation later. For the time being, he brought his attention to the rest of his evening.

"Shower, yes..." Lupin said this decisively but lingered as he continued "but bed?"

Lupin sat up. His spine popped, stretching to full length after being coiled against first the wall then bed. It made Lupin groan happily. He smacked his tongue against the roof of his mouth a few moments as if it was sticking there.

"You know what? I'm a little thirsty." He announced. An eyebrow was raised as Zenigata observed his lover.

"You wanna watch a movie or something?" Movies had become a big thing for the two of them since their new living situation. Zenigata couldn't believe his eyes the first time. They had been watching one of Lupin's soppy old movies and the thief had begun to cry. Zenigata also couldn't believe he could love the man any more than he did in that moment. He had put his arm around Lupin and kissed the top of his head and wiped away his tears without saying anything.

Lupin looked back over his shoulder and there was a sportive grin on his lips.

"Let's go out." He offered.

"Out?" Zenigata was taken aback by that. It wouldn't be the first time they had gone out after lovemaking. In fact, the first time Zenigata had almost felt scandalous by the situation but they'd done it many times since then. Tonight however didn't feel like the other nights. "Out where?"

Lupin giggled. There was a little of his trademark misbehavior in that sound.

"Out! Out drinking. I meant it when I said it's what we need. We blew off a little steam in here! Let's go air out the rest of the cloud out there." Lupin explained. He stood and turned to face Zenigata with his fists on his hips. His belly was still glistening with the proof of their lust but Lupin was heedless of it, confident even in his debauched state. To Zenigata, he looked like some x-rated parody of Peter Pan inviting him to fly to Neverland.

"Out with Goemon and Jigen? Out after...." He motioned first between him and Lupin then to the bed. "That!" He looked back incredulously at his husband. "You seriously want to go out and drink?"

Lupin waved the man off good-naturedly.

"Forget those two! They are probably sipping extra slow to stretch out their pocket money right about now. That's no way to live." Lupin reasoned. "Come on! The night's still young. Take me out to Shinjuku. We can walk around like we own the place. Just the two of us. Nothing helps a bruised ego like a good flex and a bit of booze."

Zenigata knew he could protest. He knew he could tell Lupin no but he'd eventually just be rolled out the door because in the end he always wanted to make Lupin happy. It was pointless to extend the conversation when he knew where it would end. Yes, their financial situation wasn't great but Zenigata was sure Lupin knew what he was doing.

"Fine. Let's go. Maybe it'll help me. I'm sure your old hangouts have to be full of the criminal element." He teased with a bit of a smirk. Lupin only grinned bigger and offered his husband a wink as he turned to make his way to the shower.

"Sure thing. Call it occupational research." He tossed over his shoulder. Zenigata sighed. He felt like a child being brought out for a treat. He didn't like the feeling at all. He was his own man with his own agency for so long. Now he was forced to rely on his husband. He was adrift in the universe with no purpose. The feeling was pushed aside though. He wouldn't let himself ruin this night any more than he already had. With a resigned look, he followed Lupin to the bathroom.

The two lovers were out on the street within the hour. Even though Zenigata wasn't in the best mood their time evolved into drink and laughter. After several bars, the night became fuzzy at the edges and as the two men stumbled through the streets, the night went to black.


	3. Chapter 3

It was the dull pain behind his eyes that first woke Zenigata. The night before was a blur but he could smell Lupin's cologne and feel his husband sleeping behind him. They must have at least been able to stumble home. As temporary as this home was.

The former inspector groaned. His stomach was churning and he knew this would be quite the hangover. It wouldn't be the first time he had woken up hungover but today was odd. His left arm from shoulder to elbow felt tender like a healing sunburn or road burn. The irritating feeling radiated over his right pectoral. Maybe they had gotten into a fight but that seemed unlikely as his knuckles and face felt fine. He was glad he had at least slept on the opposite side of this strange wound.

Another groan came out of Zenigata as his eyes slowly opened. The closed a moment later as the light felt like it was piercing the back of his skull. He had to see his arm though. If he needed medical help he was going to have to get it soon. The burn was getting worse. With a sigh, he opened his eyes and looked down at his arm.

What he saw was far from what he expected. Instead of scuffed skin and scabs, he looked down at a riot of color and shapes. Zenigata shot up in bed and sat there looking at his arm in total disbelief. A tattoo. It was a large tattoo spanning most of his arm and half his pectoral.

"Lupin!!" He yelled panicked as he held his arm bent and away from him like it wasn't his own arm but some awful joke. "Lupin, wake up!!"

Lupin snorted and jerked awake. He gurgled something then and laid both hands over his eyes, hissing at the light as it assaulted his own throbbing head. It was bright in here, bright enough to be past noon already even despite the blinds and it hurt. His tongue felt like it was wrapped in cotton and his gut burned with the pure empty feeling after a night of drinking on an empty stomach. He turned over, one hand still over his eyes and began to pull the cover over his head.

"Lemme sleep. Feel like I got hit by a truck..." He groaned. Zenigata growled. The part of his brain that remembered how it felt to chase Lupin was placing the blame squarely on the man himself. Somehow Lupin had tricked him into this mess. His more rational mind reeled him in from literally kicking Lupin out of their bed. Instead, he yanked the blanket away and wasn't surprised to see Lupin curl in on himself in reaction to the sudden temperature change.

"Damn it Lupin! Look at me!"

Lupin turned his head and opened his eyes with a gummy slowness. They were slitted nearly shut at first but opened a bit more as Lupin became more used to the daylight. He focused on Zenigata for almost five whole seconds as if he could find nothing out of the ordinary but then his eyes made the connection to his brain and they snapped wide open. He sat up violently and stared, mouth hanging open. He blinked hard like that would clear his eyes to see that the massive tattoo was just an illusion or a trick of the light brought on by his tired eyes.

"Pops..." Lupin gawped. Lupin lifted his hands as if to reach out to his husband but hesitated. He let them hang in the air like a conductor about to orchestrate a grand opera. At last, he plunged them into his own hair, holding his skull in an unmistakable pose of disbelief. "What did you do?"

"What did I do?! I don't remember anything after the third bar!" Zenigata bellowed as he stuck out his arm to Lupin like the man could fix it. "This wasn't your idea?"

"My idea? What would make it my idea!? " Lupin groused. Lupin wracked his brain in an attempt to make sense of the previous night. He knew there had been more than three bars; a good few more. It made his head pound miserably.

"I would never think of this! It had to be you!" Zenigata answered quickly. He couldn't look at it. The thought that he'd actually let someone do this to his skin permanently made his head spin. All he knew was there was a lot of blue and yellow but he refused to focus on it.

"It's your arm! You have to be responsible for your own arm!" Lupin started but then held back and gathered himself. He lowered but voice and tried again. "Alright, just let me think.."

He only got snatches of memory to begin with. Specific details with unspecified reasons for springing to mind. Laughing and carrying on; boasts and encouraging agreements. A neon sign in the riotous collection of them that caught both of their eyes and drew them up the narrow stairwell to the studio.

There were bright overhead lights illuminating padded chairs and frames of thick outlined art. A young man not too far out of high school to have forsaken his delinquent yankee pompadour, his ears riveted with piercings and arms and neck awash with predatory cats and brass knuckles and a pretty mermaid sitting coquettishly on a fish hook.

Through the fog, Lupin could hear the high buzz of the tattoo needle and a boom box playing the Pulp Fiction soundtrack on CD. He remembered knowing it was that specific album when he heard the haunting rock sounds of "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" interspersed amongst the doo-wop and sixties soul. He remembered the tattoo artist being very pleased when Lupin recognized it and Zenigata slurring how he had never seen Pulp Fiction. Lupin thought he sweetly scolded his husband over it.

None of that mattered now, of course. They were stupid paltry details that shed no light on how they had arrived at his stage, only that it had happened. Lupin rubbed his eyes wearily. Zenigata swung his legs out of bed. He sat there with his head in his hands as he grumbled to himself.

"Damn damn damn." He cursed as he sat there. He rubbed the heel of his hands into his eyes and the memory came back to him in a flash.

A smoke-filled bar, red neon lighting the room. They were drunk. Wasted would be a better term. At this bar, they had gotten sake and the talk of yakuza had come up once again. Zenigata has leered at his husband and kissed him hard in the relative privacy of their semicircular booth.

Afterwards, Lupin had insisted on pouring Zenigata's drinks and whispering little declarations of loyalty in "Oyabun's" ear. He even poured Zenigata a full measure while only giving himself a third, demonstrating Zenigata's higher rank in their little game. It had been his adoration for Lupin that lead Zenigata to pour some of his sake into Lupin's cup. They would be equals as far as he was concerned. The sight of those evenly filled glasses made Zenigata feel melancholic. Sure, they could be equals in their little game but Zenigata felt absolutely useless when it came to their lives. He had no purpose, no sense of duty. While he wanted to descend into his depression he would not ruin this night again.

Zenigata puffed up with bravado and drank down his sake like it was water. It was at that point Zenigata had made his biggest mistake. He thought. He thought hard about yakuza and how they showed their fearlessness. Tattoos.

Zenigata's head went up at that.

"It was my damn idea. This was my fault."

Lupin reached out of bed and hooked his discarded pants. He quickly found his wallet in them and, folding it open, found what he was afraid he would. It was empty. Very very empty.

Another aspect of the tattoo parlor filtered back into Lupin's mind. Him leaning against a lighted drafting table watching and guiding the artist with thoughts and details as the man drew with inspired excitement and ready skill. He could remember the crunch of bills in his fist as he removed them from his wallet and placed the whole stack down on the counter. It had been no small amount of cash as it was Lupin's custom to never use traceable plastic if he could help it. He didn't remember how much money he had been carrying but it had been mostly been in ten thousand yen bills and there had been a lot of them in there.

It had been his own voice that had told Zenigata how well he was doing and how proud he was of him and coaching him through moments of more intense displeasure over the following hours. He remembered the feel of Zenigata's hand gripping his tightly and the look of discomfort, tempered with an adoration, the man gave him.

"It may have been your idea but I'm the one who made it happen." Lupin admitted now, showing the wide open wallet to Zenigata.

The sight of the empty wallet was almost worse than the sight of the tattoo itself. Zenigata knew that tattoos were expensive. A little part of his mind told him if they paid that much then at least he might have something good permanently etched into his skin. That made him even angrier at himself. How could he be so self obsessed that the thought of how good he'd look was a solace?

With a deep resigned sigh, he stood and walked around the bed to the full length mirror. He was naked but the taboo was so long dead between them that he didn't even think to look to Lupin or blush. Once in front of the mirror, he turned slightly and observed the large tattoo.

It was a traditional yakuza style, alright. Black waves crashed up his bicep from his elbow. The color only reinforced how large his arms had gotten over the last few months and he hated himself for liking that. Nestled in the folds of the water a cerulean blue koi struggled up the stream of ink. Its sleek powerful body was forever locked in an s-shape. This was where the tattoo artist's talent showed. Zenigata could vaguely remember some punk kid but the way he illustrated the fish was masterful. There was a sense of movement to the koi. He was struggling, yes, but he was making headway. Zenigata leaned into the mirror a bit to better see the animal's face. The koi knew it was on the right track. Its eyes held determination and pride. Zenigata would almost describe it as smiling, if a fish could smile, and it showed there wasn't any giving up. In the water and brushing past the intricate scales were large jonquil blossoms as though someone had plucked the flower's heads from their stems and tossed them into the pond. Tributes to the hard working koi. The water surged up over Zenigata's shoulder and down over his chest, cresting right beside his nipple. It carried with it more stunning yellow jonquil so carefully rendered that they looked like they could be plucked right off of his skin.

This was Lupin's design. He remembered that. Remembered the fervor in which Lupin described his idea to the kid. It was beautiful. An ill conceived love letter to Zenigata's drunken idea and determination. Lupin always was an artist in his own way. It showed now.

Zenigata turned and looked at himself head-on in the mirror. Any pride in the art gracing his arm and chest were gone as his eyes fell on the dark whirl of his gunshot scar, even more hideous for the beautiful art that lay beside it.

"I wasn't even smart enough to cover the damn scar." He said bitterly as he stared at himself in the mirror. Lupin climbed from bed and approached his lover. Lupin had done something upon waking that he was not often guilty of. Looking without observing. Now Lupin studied the tattoo. An all night tattoo parlor with no qualms about taking drunken clients was probably a far more shifty place than Lupin would be willing to admit taking his beloved husband to but all the same, the piece was not at all shoddy or unskilled. He thought about the artist again. The fact he was so young and had a shop of his own meant he was most likely the real deal. He had to be, Lupin surmised, if he could do such very high quality work.

"I didn't know if this is what you want to hear... but it's gorgeous." Lupin said with a measure of sheepish honesty. Zenigata gave his husband a sidelong look.

"You think I didn't notice that? Makes it all the worse." He said bitterly returning his gaze to the mirror. "I can't even really hate it. You designed it. I just hate myself for doing such a stupid thing."

Lupin's brow furrowed. He marched over to Zenigata, yanking on the pants still in one hand with a hopping gracelessness.

"Now look here! We spent some money last night we weren't planning on spending. So what? It's money, the whole world is full of it. They'll always be more." Lupin told him. He was not upset with Zenigata as the man feared he might be. Lupin was doling out firm world traveled advice judging by the tone of his voice and stance of his body. Zenigata thought that attitude helped him to connect and save so many people so many times over the years of his adventures. It was comforting in its assuredness. Lupin clapped a hand on Zenigata's untattooed shoulder in a gesture of support.

"But it was a lot of money." Zenigata countered. Lupin was ready, his quick wit coming to fore in a happy go lucky shrug.

"What masterpiece isn't expensive?" He offered. He observed a look on Zenigata's face that was exasperated, to say the least, and held up his hands in an attempt to soothe and postpone the oncoming rebuttal. "Look. A painting is made up of the sum of its parts. The oils, the canvas, the frame. They're all very important decisions and separately they don't mean much. It's only when it's all put together, that's where real art begins. On paper or marble or skin, art is art and if that koi was on anyone else it'd be all wrong. So if you hate yourself, you do discredit to a work of art!"

Lupin looked proudly at Zenigata. He puffed up and stood beside Zenigata where they could both watch him in the mirror, hands folded behind his back. It was the posture of the patron of an art gallery, enjoying the pieces.

"If there's one thing I know it's that beautiful art is sacred and no husband of mine will besmirch its name. I have no patience for that." He play scolded. His smile was warm and knowing. Zenigata's face softened as he looked at his husband.

"Even when I mess up this bad you have something kind to say." he said leaning close to Lupin. "Ok. We'll get through this. As long as I'm with you I'll be ok." He laid his head on Lupin's shoulder and extended his tattooed arm to hook Lupin's waist and pull him closer. "Can we get some coffee soon. I love you but my head's gonna explode." He joked. Lupin's charming demeanor seemed to crumble almost the moment coffee was mentioned. He sagged in Zenigata's arms comically.

"God yes! I thought you'd never say it! Me too!" He moaned. He slapped a hand over his eyes and gave a staccato series of little "Ow, ow, ow" sounds. He staggered across the room and scooped up his undershirt. He gave it a cursory sniff, grimaced then put it on anyway.

"Get dressed. I'll put a pot on..." He instructed over his shoulder as he left. A small smile spread across Zenigata's face. His husband was perfect, at least to him. He turned back to the mirror and looked at himself once more. He had a vague idea of how to take care of this tattoo and he pretty sure he wasn't supposed to cover it up. On the other hand, he wasn't ready to walk around with his new skin art visible

He decided on soft pajama pants and a large sweatshirt emblazoned with the phrase "Property of the NYPD XXL". Lupin had thought it was funny but at least it was big and baggy so it wouldn't rub his arm and chest too much.

When he was dressed he made his way down stairs, smiling happily at the scent of coffee drifting through the air. In the kitchen, Jigen and Goemon sat at the small table, Jigen with his face in the newspaper and Goemon sipping tea, while Lupin poured the coffee.

"Morning" He grumbled by way of greeting to the men. Zenigata had distinctly heard the men speaking to each other in low voices. He couldn't make out the words but they has seemed urgent. When Zenigata's walked into the common area, all talk stopped. Three sets of eyes at once regarded him and just as fast looked away, each man focusing on something else.

Goemon had retreated with his tea to the sofa where he sat crossed legged on it. His teacup was left forgotten in his lap however as Goemon had seemingly put himself in a state of meditation, eyes closed and body motionless. Jigen followed suit, taking up the spot opposite of Goemon. As he passed Zenigata, the man could feel Jigen's eyes on him somehow beneath the brim of his hat despite his placid demeanor. Jigen stretched his legs out on the floor in front of him and returned to mildly thumbing through his newspaper. Lupin elected not to use the couch and instead sat at the kotatsu on the floor, leaving the only available seat in the living room area between his two partners free. He quietly nursed his coffee.

Zenigata looked between the three men with suspicious eyes. His eyes then landed on the steaming cup of coffee his husband had put out for him. A very tiny part of his brain yelled that this had to be some kind of trap, but for what? Cautiously he sat down. Nothing happened. He picked up the coffee cup. Still nothing. Zenigata finally shrugged and took a sip of his coffee.

The other men did not acknowledge him.

Zenigata rolled his shoulder as he took another sip of coffee. He thought about turning on the tv to watch the afternoon news. Without thinking about it he plucked at his shirt sleeve. It was a soft shirt but it was still irritating to his skin tender as it was from the hours under a needle.

Jigen snapped the flagging edge of his paper back open. Lupin began to gently flick through a magazine left on the table. They were the only sounds in the room and outside they could hear the Tokyo traffic. Goemon did not stir.

With a smile, Zenigata exchanged his cup of coffee for the remote and turned on the tv. He watched the weather anchor talk about the warm weather to come this spring. Maybe things had finally calmed down after last night. Without thinking about it Zenigata pulled gently on the shirt collar to move the fabric away from his chest.

"So. Let's see it." Jigen in a voice as cold and smooth as steel. Before Zenigata could react, the newspaper was thrown away and Jigen was on him. Goemon was just as quick, pouncing on Zenigata's lower half and twisting his legs into a lock with his hands. His teacup went flying but landed on the kotatsu upright. The midair puddle of tea fell neatly into it a beat later.

Jigen grabbed the front of Zenigata's sweater and pulled it up and over Zenigata's head like a hockey player looking to assault a rival on the ice. He twisted one arm up and out of the way by balling it in the tangles of the sweater and snatched Zenigata's opposite wrist and pulled him forward to display his tattooed arm. Lupin was jumping to his feet as well but he didn't move on Zenigata. He was pointing accusingly at the pile of men.

"Hey guys, why do you gotta be so rough?! Take it easy on him, would ya?" He shouted.

"Come on, Lupin! Like he would've shown us if we had just asked!" Jigen grunted.

"Hey! What's the big idea!?" Zenigata's muffled howls came while he struggled against the samurai and the gunman. "Lemme go, you jerks!"

Goemon did as he was told, sitting up and folding his arms. He observed the koi fish with a serious face.

"It's quite traditional." He noted in a surprising studious manner.

"That's a word for it. Lupin, are you really telling me he did this all last night?" Jigen asked his friend. He let go of Zenigata, satisfied now he had seen what he hadn't believed to be real.

"That's what I said, didn't I?" Lupin defended. Zenigata struggled with the shirt until he could get it down and off his face. His tattooed arm still hung free.

"You told them?? Why would you tell them?"

Lupin made a face. He had been unable to keep the secret for thirty whole minutes and even worse it was being acknowledged and making him look worse. He was ashamed but for the indiscretion or only being caught he didn't dwell on. Lupin's face turned into an apologetic grimace.

"I'm sorry Pops but I was just so proud. It's really something. I mean no one has ever done something like that for me before. I just couldn't help it!" He hoped that pleading his case as an act of love that must be shouted from the rooftops would help to win Zenigata over. With a hard yank, Zenigata pulled off his sweater. It was pointless now.

"Proud? Proud of this?" He extended his arm to Lupin. "I spent all of our money on this! I did this to somehow 'help' me but it hasn't done anything. I'm nothing but trouble to you." Zenigata threw down the sweater and stood before stomping towards his and Lupin's room. For the second time in as many days, Lupin was chasing after his distraught husband, desperate to smooth things over with him. He gently took Zenigata's hand to keep him from leaving.

"Okay, there's no need for all that. We talked about this. You did it and the guys know and it's done. They were going to find out eventually. You can't keep beating yourself up over it."

"There's a legend that says that if the koi struggles against the current long enough he shall become a dragon." Goemon interjected with sudden thoughtfulness. It was cryptic and obtuse but in his own verbose way, Goemon was offering his council. Lupin jumped on that.

"See? Ya see? A dragon!" He turned to Goemon to snappily recognize him a moment before he focused his attention back on his husband. "Thank you, Goemon."

Goemon inclined his head in acknowledgment. Jigen for his part was silent, apart from a sigh just soft enough not to be a scoff. He had something to say. A whole lot actually but he knew that agreeing that Zenigata had indeed wasted money that he didn't have would only put him deeper into Lupin's bad books and with all the thief had on his plate already he was liable to snap like a rubber band. They had only tentatively made up last night and despite his apparent indifference, Jigen didn't like it when Lupin was upset with him. He'd bide his time for now, not for Zenigata's sake but Lupin's. He stretched out on the couch, crossing his legs.

"I'm telling you if you just own it you'll feel a lot better. You got to admit it's pretty badass." Lupin continued. His smile was full of hope and the natural encouragement that drew people to him. Zenigata looked from Lupin to Goemon and Jigen. He huffed a sigh.

"I need to think. I'm going for a run." he answered. Lupin watched his husband gently shake his hand from Lupin's grasp and go. He gave a sigh of his own.

"I can't win today..." He said, dismayed. He felt for his pack of cigarettes in his back pocket and when he found them he headed in the direction of the sliding door leading to the balcony. With both men gone, Goemon looked to Jigen. No emotion betrayed either of their faces.

"S'lot of to do over a scribble..." Jigen commented. He pulled his hat over his eyes in preparation for an afternoon nap.

Zenigata stopped in their room and avoided looking in the mirror. He needed to put something on if he was going out for a run but the shirt has been irritating. He needed to keep his arm bare. There was nothing that could be done about his chest so a tank top would have to do. Once he had tied on his running shoes, thousand dollar Balenciagas he now regretted actually buying, he slipped out the door.

Lupin had watched Zenigata leave, jogging down the block and out of sight from the balcony. He leaned on the railing, smoking but not tasting it. There were no rules against smoking in the house but Lupin had wanted to be alone for a moment and that was the best place for it. It was killing him to see his husband so despondent. Lupin had a way of soothing those around him so it was troubling to him that he could do nothing for Zenigata this time around. He had finished his smoke and slumped back to his room.

This wasn't a run for speed or training, it was simply meant to clear Zenigata's head and get some air. A steady jog that kept his heart rate up. As he went, something new happened. People looked at him. A small panic gripped him when he first noticed. The feeling was quickly quelled when be reminded himself that the hat and glasses should be enough to obscure his face. It wasn't until he saw a woman's eyes fall to his bare arm before giving him a flirtatious smile that it clicked into place. People were responding to the tattoo. Even better they were responding in a way he had hoped for. Men seemed to give him a certain nod of their heads as they passed. A sign of respect in a way. Women giggled and smiled at him, quietly scandalized and delighted. It was a powerful testimony to the power of the image.

At the end of the street, he stopped and looked at his arm. And a small smile spread over his face. It was beautiful. His husband had put a lot of thought into it and it showed. Suddenly all the pieces fell together and he was in awe of how something he thought was beautiful could become miraculous. This time Zenigata ran home. This was no time to jog.

When Zenigata burst into their room he was out of breath. His hat and sunglasses were in his hand as he looked at his husband with wonder in his eyes. Lupin was sitting on their bed looking mopey but to the older man, he looked amazing.

"It's you." He said breathlessly. It came as a total surprise to Lupin when Zenigata came in with such a look on his face and words without context. Lupin pointed at his own face. It was pinched into an expression of confusion.

"... Yeah?" He said, not knowing what else to say. Was Zenigata surprised to see Lupin in their room?

"No. No. I mean yes but no." Zenigata rambled as he came closer to the other man. He sighed in frustration but he was still smiling. "Koi fish aren't blue. At least not this color blue. It's the same color as your favorite coat." He knelt in front of Lupin, taking his hands in his own. "You're the koi. Covered in my flower. There's jonquil all over. Even after I had screwed up so badly and I don't know how I'm gonna live this life, you still marked me as yours and you're mine." Zenigata looked up at Lupin with love in his eyes. "You made it permanent."

Lupin felt his heart thump hard then melt in his rib cage. The alcohol had made the night before hazy and Lupin couldn't remember every facet of what he had described to the artist in the funny all night rockabilly tattoo parlor but what he could remember Zenigata had just said back at him in a way that was wonderfully perceptive. He may have had trouble being a thief but Zenigata would always have a streak of detective in him. It was the intention he had had all along. It was what he was trying to express to Jigen and Goemon and Zenigata himself all morning. Lupin smiled back at Zenigata.

"You see why I couldn't keep my big mouth shut about it now?" He said with soft humor. "So hurry up and start liking it as much as I do, you big dummy..."

"I love it." Zenigata answered sincerely. "I want it to stay looking good but I'm not really sure what to do. Will you help me, Lupin?" Those were words he never expected himself to say but now they were the most natural thing in the world. If Lupin had melted before now he was positively gooey. He laid a hand on the side of Zenigata's head, scrubbing his fingers fondly through the short hair the way one might lavish attention on a faithful old dog.

"Of course. That's what I signed up for after all. For richer or poorer, for inked and inkless." He joked sweetly. Zenigata laughed and pressed his forehead to Lupin's.

"Thank you... For everything. I don't know what I'd do without you"

As it had done last night, the thought of Zenigata relying solely on Lupin sat a bit unpleasant with the thief but he didn't mention it. The seed of concern that had been planted the night before and already was beginning to germinate. Lupin would fix it but not now. They had only just brushed off the sadness and Lupin didn't want to ruin that. He would hold onto the problem and find the solution when it presented itself.

After that, life went back to business as usual and Lupin was true to his word in caring for Zenigata's tattoo. He did his share of research and learned just what tattoo aftercare implied. He bought an expensive pot of salve made specifically for tattoo care which he applied to Zenigata's arm and chest several times a day. He helps Zenigata wash and dry it and as the healing process continued, he used a firm but kind hand to keep the former inspector from itching or picking at the flaking skin. It was something Zenigata very badly wanted to do and he hollered and carried on a bit but in the end, he was grateful to Lupin for keeping him from potentially damaging the art, even if the itch was driving him crazy.

Once the tattoo was healed it was to Zenigata's delight, as well as Lupin's, that he found he could make the koi "swim" by flexing his arm, the muscles under painted skin would move making the fish's tail look like it was swiveling back and forth with the illusion of upward movement. This always delighted Lupin and he would ask Zenigata to do it regularly. It annoyed Jigen to no end. Not only had the former inspector thrown away so much money on something so frivolous he could now do stupid tricks with it.

It was two weeks after the debacle at the art gallery that Jigen had pulled Lupin to the side with Goemon stoically in toe to discuss the state of their finances. Jigen had been rubbed the wrong way by how Zenigata had thrown a chunk of change away on the tattoo, (the gunman very deftly avoided the fact that he himself had drunk a good amount of his remaining money away that same night) and at last told Lupin so. He insisted that it was time for Lupin to stop dragging his feet and find them some money.

Lupin had to admit that Jigen was right. The money was tighter than ever. Steak had become ground beef then ground turkey and would very soon become instant brick ramen and while Lupin had called Jigen's bluff a bit by reminding him he could go find his own work, Jigen had stubbornly dug in his heels telling Lupin he had gone in half on the lease and would get his money's worth on it. Lupin suspected part of Jigen's annoyance was due to his partner's unwillingness to budge on his stance with Zenigata's "worth" as a thief but thought it wise not to broach the subject given Jigen's hotheaded demeanor as of late. Jigen sometimes felt he was owed a job when Lupin couldn't deliver on an earlier payday and that could put him in a mood. Apparently, he had influenced Goemon too as the samurai insisted that he had no opinion but he had also been promised a job and had traveled to Tokyo at great expense so he would have to complete one if he was to continue to fund his training.

With no other alternatives, Lupin set to work. The more he worked on a potential caper, the more he thought about Zenigata's last heist.

He had not forgotten. Lupin did not forget as a general rule. The failure had set Zenigata that much further away from the new reality of the thief's lifestyle he would have to embrace. It had also distanced him from Jigen and Goemon. There was no love lost between Zenigata and the two men who were supposed to be his new partners. That was the crux of the matter, Lupin decided and he would have to see to that before anything else. He approached his plans from a completely new angle and was pleased to see the pieces almost at once falling into place.

Zenigata noticed Lupin researching day and night. He saw him making phone calls to unknown numbers, talking in hushed tones or ending them abruptly when he entered the room. Zenigata wondered if Lupin's withdrawn behavior had to do with their dwindling funds. When asked about it, the thief would make some excuse or another or simply tell Zenigata that he was not allowed to see Lupin's plans until they were ready. There was a deliberate attempt to keep things sounding blase but Zenigata could see it was only a skin deep act. Lupin had something brewing in that brilliant mind of his and it was consuming him the way once upon a time not so long ago a new ingenious plan to capture Lupin might consume Zenigata himself. The thief was enjoying himself.

  
A little after two weeks from the night of the tattoo, Lupin assembled the men in the common room to brief them on his newest plan. Lupin was confident as always in his plans although the layers went deeper this time than he was ready to tell the members of his gang.

"Gentlemen, may I introduce the Japanese leg of The International Jewelry and Lapidary Show..." Lupin held out a flyer with the title he had just announced written in silver foil letters beside a photograph of an obscenely large sapphire on a diamond band. Below that was smaller print relating the dates and locations of the show. Jigen smiled from where he lounged on the couch.

"Finally came up with a good score, Boss. Better than some old school porn." he joked. The gunman shot a look at Goemon who sat cross legged on the floor blushing slightly at the comment. His eyes then fell on Zenigata. "Hey, why's Pops here? Gang members only."

"I'm part of the gang now, you jackass!" Zenigata hollered back from his seat in the easy chair.

"After last time? No dice!" Jigen countered. "You can stay here and hold down the fort. Hopefully you won't screw that up."

"He's part of the gang, Jigen." Lupin said firmly as if telling his unruly children that they had to include their sibling in their games before moving on. "The IJL show is the creme de la creme of the precious metals and gem community. An annual tour that takes the best and literally brightest antiques as well as brand new acquisitions the world over. It's an intense honor to have one of your pieces loaned out for display. Only the best and most rare need apply. And wouldn't you know it, it's in Tokyo starting tomorrow morning."

There was the playful pluck of a schoolboy with a prank in store in the way he talked. Lupin was ready to hit the ground running on a new big job.

"So we'll clean the place out. Be living like kings again in no time." Jigen said smirking. "As long as everyone does what they're supposed to." A pointed look was shot Zenigata's way but the older man chose to ignore him. He didn't want to upset his husband. Lupin flicked his fingertips along the pages in his hand before finding the one he was looking for.

"I suppose we could but where's the art? Where's the finesse? We won't need to clean out anything if we just take these." Lupin handed the page to Jigen. It was a glossy page with three separate photos printed on it. Two shots of identically cut diamonds, one pink and one blue, and a third of the two gems set on golden posts. "They are very proud of their newest addition. Two flawless diamonds bought separately at auction by the same anonymous buyer for almost fifty million dollars."

Lupin pointed each of them out on the page with one slender finger.

"The blue one is called "Apollo" and the pink one is "Artemis". The collector is making them a pair of earrings and renaming them 'The Memory of Autumn Leaves.' Nice huh?"

"Is that what people with money do now? Name rocks?" Zenigata quipped. Yes, he had had a taste of the good life but he was a simple guy deep down. Jigen rolled his eyes but refused to say anything to Zenigata. He may have to work with him but he didn't have to like it.

"Fifty million split three ways isn't so bad."

"Exactly! It's always better to focus on one target! Especially with security like this." Lupin agreed. He took a knee and spread out the remaining papers. These had product descriptions and blueprints of security precautions printed on them.

"It's way high tech this time around. Automated rooms, each with grates and barricade walls to catch anyone getting too handsy. Less preventive and more like a series of big noisy hamster cages to hold in any offenders. High tension alloy. Don't know if Zantetsuken will cut it, so to speak." Lupin chuckled. When Goemon scoffed at the inference Lupin elaborated by saying "You'll be more help getting us in than out the time around, Goemon."

The thought of all that high tech security was a bit worrying to Zenigata but he gritted his teeth and looked down at the map.

"I don't see a lot of actual guards. Figures. More and more of these places are going automated cause it's cheaper to buy the machines then to hire good men. I've always advised against it but they won't listen if they can save a few pennies." He commented before looking up at Jigen. "And its split four ways now. Remember, I'm part of the gang."

Lupin's feline smile denoted his pride in Zenigata.

"You tell em, darling." He said. He could not see Jigen's face but was an old hand at reading his body language and he ignored the pointed way Jigen dropped the page he was holding onto the kotatsu and leaned back in his seat. He again pushed on. Let the grumpy bastard stew; it was no skin off Lupin's nose. "We're going to make this a real cut and dry job. Goemon opens the skylight on the west concourse, we walk down through the main hall and Apollo and Artemis are in the central showroom. Biggest of the bunch. Jigen, you're in front, then Goemon and Pops. I bring up the rear."

"And what's Junior going to be adding to this?" Jigen asked, rocking his head in Zenigata's direction. Jigen was familiar with the order Lupin had described. Jigen & Goemon could clear rooms of any guards as they entered as well as spot any potential security measures unaccounted for, leaving Lupin a free path to the target. Zenigata was superfluous as far as he was concerned. Lupin's smile grew larger and more knowing.

"Pops? He's going to make the grab." He informed Jigen. He did not look at the man as he spoke. His eyes were fixed on his husband.

There was a short stutter of surprise from Zenigata at first before he finally spit out: "Me!?"

This was an entirely different level than simply driving the getaway car. This was actual involvement. True and honest thievery. The thought alone tied his stomach in knots. Jigen sat up and even Goemon was unable to hide the look of concern and surprise on his face.

"Him? He's a dud, Lupin! He screwed up the last job and he wasn't even in it!" He spat.

"Perhaps Zenigata would benefit from a less hands on role..." Goemon carefully agreed.

"I-I can do it." Zenigata said a bit hesitantly but he puffed up and said it again. "I can do it. You got me flustered last time. I'll do it right this time."

"Oh, it's my fault you choked now?" Jigen visibly bristled. "What a load of crap. You're all damn talk. It's all you've ever been!"

"I chased you guys all over the world for years. I actually caught Lupin a couple of times which is more than most people can say." Zenigata scooted to the edge of his chair as if to say he wasn't going to be passive through this. "You really think I'm all talk?"

The tension in the room held a moment and no one spoke. Every eye in the room was on Jigen. He sat stone still a minute longer. His one visible eye moved to Lupin's face for only a second then finally Jigen slumped back in his seat. He crossed his arms and waved the prying eyes away, folding in on himself sulkily.

"Do whatever you want..." He grumbled. He tucked his chin to his chest and that seemed to be the end of it. Lupin was about to come to Zenigata's aid; he was about to put his foot down and pull the boss card. That what he said goes and if Jigen didn't like it he could find his own score but there was a spark of conviction in Zenigata's eyes that had seemed to placate or at least waylay even Jigen's argument. He was glad for it and hoped his husband would absorb that victory however small it might feel.

"Alright, Lupin. What else do we need to know?" Zenigata asked his husband as he sat back in his chair. The move had been a bluff and Jigen had bought it. While the former inspector was glad for it he wondered how many times he could press his luck like that before it ran out.

"Just think about how many stars you want the restaurant for our victory breakfast to be. We strike tonight and will all be fifty mill richer by sun up." Lupin joked. That was all Jigen needed to hear and left, making a point to give no further comment or eye contact with anyone in the room. Goemon and Lupin noticed this and, in a look at each other, seemed to have a whole conversation and decide it was not worth pursuing further.

The afternoon meandered into the evening and then the latest part of true night. The group had spent their time preparing as they often did before a job, with the exception of Zenigata who had next to no idea what he would or would not need. That had resulted in the day becoming a stretch of slogging hours in which the former inspector had to try very hard not to get himself worked up about the heist's possibilities. By the time the men loaded themselves into the Fiat, Zenigata had convinced himself that it would be fine but it was only skin deep conviction.

  
The Tokyo Exhibition Center was no small building but Lupin's blueprints showed only half of the massive convention center was being utilized for the gem show and it was only past that point that they would have to keep an eye out for the automated security systems. Goemon opened the skylight with all but a flick of Zantetsuken and the men lowered themselves into the concourse. They walked down the shutdown escalator and stood outside the main exhibition hall.

"Remember we're going to try to go around any security measures rather than busting right through. It's all still live in there. Too touchy to shut down ahead of time." Lupin advised.

"Better to never encounter the beast as you pass through its lair than risk waking it by putting it in shackles." Goemon agreed with a sly smile. As he often was, Lupin was oddly charmed by Goemon's complicated metaphor.

"Sure. Why not? Ready, boys?” Lupin asked and his smooth confidence infected his companions as it had a way of doing. Jigen pulled his Magnum from the back of his belt.

"Let's do it, Boss." He agreed.

Zenigata nodded. He was nervous but he'd do it for his husband."Let's go."

Goemon and Lupin opened the doors to the exhibition hall and Jigen checked quickly left and right with the point of his gun following his sharp movements.

"Clear." He announced when he saw no guards. Lupin and Zenigata moved up to join the other two men but stood just outside the doorway. The four of them all peered in but did not enter. It was a high ceilinged room, perhaps five thousand square feet in size. It was dotted with white pedestals of varying widths and lengths and each was crowned with a glass box that encased a breathtaking example of precious stones, either loose or placed in settings of every metal imaginable. Lupin's eyes followed up the length of the room. Beige walls stretched to a contemporary geometric chandelier made of what looked like stainless steel that cast dim golden light onto the many many pedestals below. And all around that was the automated security cage system.

It was a collection of interlocking barred walls on a series of gears, chains and metal arms, all attached to the chandelier as if it were the hub in a large wheel with complicated spokes. They could move and change position, depending on where the target was in the room. It looked like a strange upside-down maze hung suspended above them. Despite himself, Lupin was impressed. It was both a masterful piece of technology and a thought provoking work of modern art.

"Impressive." Goemon echoed his thoughts and Lupin nodded his agreement. Zenigata moved to take a step in and get a closer look but Lupin barred his way with an arm across the man's chest. They both looked down at the room's floor. At first, Zenigata thought it strange that room like this to have tiles of such a bizarre pink shade when he looked again he could see that in reality there was a low grid of near invisible infrared lasers. Zenigata looked to Lupin, who was already rummaging in his coat pockets for something. He pulled out a palm sized device that looked like a cross between a hand grenade and a roll of duct tape. He placed it on the ground just outside then pulled the pin. The coil split open and two long arms of thin, highly mirrored aluminum unfurled like party noisemakers, shooting forward into the showroom. They reflected the lasers back on themselves, leaving a four foot gap that stretched to the center of the room, safe from any security measure. When Zenigata looked back at Lupin, the thief only offered a set of brows held high and a sportive little smile. Jigen smiled as well as he and then Goemon stepped over the device and onto the now safe floor. Zenigata smiled at Lupin, totally smitten.

"Even when you were a bastard I had to admit your toys were impressive. Still are." he reached out and squeezed Lupin's hand. He felt better knowing that Lupin had done the hard part and cleared the way. Lupin making things easier for him worried him in new ways.

"What a lovesick dope." Jigen grumbled as he edged between the displays with caution. Lupin rolled his eyes and tossed his head in Jigen's direction, a silent brush off that told Zenigata not to listen. He then carefully stepped into the room. Zenigata followed Lupin looking about himself as he went. He'd been in empty galleries plenty of times but this time felt different. They were alone and the security lights very dim. Machines didn't need lights to do their jobs.

Lupin walked with his hands in his pockets. He weaved between pedestals, appraising each piece as he passed. None of them were left wanting when it came to glitz and glitter and out of the path of the infrared beams they were laughably easy targets but Lupin was not interested in taking everything he could get his hands on. It was not about how much he took but what he took. The newest, the flashiest, the most memorable. It was the notoriety Lupin craved. Quality over quantity and everything else was small potatoes.

That was all perfectly true, Lupin mused, but he secretly had more than a simple theft in mind. Now was as good a time as ever to put his own plan within the plan into action. Lupin brushed by a display of sun and flower shaped broaches dotted with rubies and amber. Imperceptibly he nudged it with his elbow and the pedestal began to rock and jostle, threatening to tip over into the path of the beams.

From the counter of his eye Zenigata saw the pedestal tip and he rushed forward, catching it before the whole thing tumbled into the beams and set off the alarms. Even though he saved it in time it did make a loud echo in the cavernous room when the heavy platform scraped along the floor. Jigen and Goemon turned. When the gunman saw Zenigata and his armload of plinth he sneered.

"Damn it, Pops. We're trying to keep a low profile here. Try and not wreck the place before we get the score."

"I- I didn't knock it. I caught it!" Zenigata said as he placed the display case back in its spot. "At least... I don't think I did." With his confidence as shaken as it was it was hard to be sure. Lupin grimaced, hoping he looked both surprised and relieved at the near miss but didn't comment. That was not the outcome he had hoped for.

The group continued further into the room. They were about a quarter of the way into the room and thus more than halfway to their destination at the room's center. Lupin could see the mismatched earrings glimmering in their glass box under a white spotlight. He slowed his step and let Zenigata get ahead of him. He watched the man's distracted face. There was concern there and doubt. He was preoccupied and Lupin took the opportunity to carefully appraise him. The thief looked from him to the floor and then the grid of red laser light just a few steps away. Then his eyes fell on Zenigata's shoes. He remained just a step behind the man and timing his gait just right, Lupin put the toe of his shoe down just on tip of Zenigata's shoelace. Unknowingly, Zenigata lifted his foot and the lace first came untied and then went taut. By the time the pull became enough to upset Zenigata's balance, Lupin shifted his foot away as if it had never gotten a hold of the other man in the first place. He waited for gravity to finish its job and send Zenigata flailing into the lasers.

Zenigata felt his foot catch with a stomach-dropping jerk. His body flew forward and his feet when out from under him. As the floor rushed up to meet his face, Zenigata's hands shot out to catch him. His nose stopped mear inches from the laser on the floor.

"What the blue hell! Pops, what are you doing?!" Jigen growled looking back to the noise. Zenigata turned over and sat on the floor. He saw the untied shoelace and grimaced.

"S-sorry. I thought I tied it."

Jigen shook his head and turned away. "Jesus Christ. Pull it together."

With a frustrated sigh, Zenigata tied his shoe. How could he be so stupid?

Lupin silently swore. He had been literally tripping Zenigata up for years. He was very good at it if he did say so himself. Now the one time it really mattered, the old man somehow kept coming out of it clean as a whistle. He wished Zenigata could be just a little bit more incompetent for once but the irony was not lost on him. Lupin helped Zenigata to his feet, mumbling something pacifying and they made up the distance from the others.

They all finally converged on the room's center. They all encircled the plinth the display case was sitting on and gazed in on the two teardrop shaped diamonds twinkling on their golden settings. The coolness of blue Apollo complimented the blushing pink of Artemis. Jigen whistled low. All eyes went to Goemon. The samurai crouched and after a split second of incredible tension, he struck. At first, it was as if nothing had changed and then a hairline crack, straight as an arrow split across the glass case. It fell open in two even pieces which Jigen and Lupin deftly caught and put aside. Goemon could not help the thin smile of pride at his work as he stood.

Zenigata swallowed hard as he stepped forward. This was his task. He was going to steal these very very expensive earings with his own hands. After this, he would officially be a thief. His hand paused as he reached for the display and his eyes flicked to his husband for reassurance.

"Go on. Take it." Lupin said. Zenigata was certain it was how the snake in the garden of Eden had spoken to Eve of the apple. Lupin's smile was one Zenigata had seen countless times in the washed out glare of police spotlights. Brightly excited, somehow dangerous and at odds with the perfect calm of his voice. Zenigata could feel Jigen and Goemon's eyes on him now too. Each man, whether they would admit it or not, was holding his breath in anticipation of the next moment.

A curt nod was directed to Lupin and Zenigata felt the sweat break out on his temples. He reached out his hand the rest of the way and his fingertips brushed the cold, surface of Apollo. It felt like it took forever for his fingers to curl around the large blue diamond before he removed it the tiny metal T- shaped display. Zenigata held the eating in the palm of his large hand. It was astonishing to him that something this small could be worth so much and he had stolen it.

Suddenly the perfect still quiet of the room was broken by blaring red lights and the hard blat of an alarm. The cacophonous sounds of whirling, revving machinery joined a moment later and the group collectively lifted their heads. The golden light of the chandelier was now pulsing red and the mechanical arms holding the many different sections of grates were beginning to move.

"What in the world...?" Goemon began.

"He tripped it! Son of a bitch tripped the alarm!" Jigen spat over the harsh sounds of the activating security system.

"But... But... I didn't. Did I?" Zenigata looked to Lupin for help and guidance on what to do next.

"Stop standing around and let's get out of here!" Lupin shouted and he began to run. The wall sections began to drop with metallic clangs all around them, just behind where the men were standing. The lights on the chandelier started to contract to spotlights and scramble along the floor looking for each of the room's occupants. One found Lupin, riding up the back of his leg and one mechanical arm swung with violent speed over the man. A wall fell down in front of him with three more following to form a cage around the thief. Lupin stopped short then feigned first left then right as a second set of bars blocked his path and he quickly backed out of the assembling cage.

"Scatter! Keep moving, don't let them catch you!" He shouted to his partners. He started to run in long zigzags, not bothering to stay in the safe area of the floor now that the trip was already springing. On instinct, Goemon slashed the first grate to fall down in front of him. The alloy of the bars sang with a high ringing and the shock of impact rode up Goemon's arm. The metal was scratched but still intact.

"Damn..." He breathed and leapt to the left and out of the way before the remaining three walls of the cage could fall around him.

Zenigata ran. He wasn't sure quite where he was running but he knew he had to get out. Now running was something he was actually good at. As he wove through the room he slid and avoided each metal panel that dropped, the blue diamond earring still clutched in his hand. He could see the door. Almost there. But Lupin; he couldn't get out without Lupin. Turning back, he searched the chaos for his husband.

Lupin was about two dozen steps behind Zenigata. He had fallen behind because Zenigata had relyed on making a straight shot. Lupin meanwhile was too busy artfully dodging between display pedestals, weaving out of the way as beam after beam from the chandelier caught him and the heavy blockades continued to try and build themselves around him. Fleet of foot as ever, they never got the chance. His grace was almost dance-like and Zenigata could swear by the roguish smile and the glint in his eye, that Lupin was enjoying himself.

Jigen approached from Zenigata's left, his Magnum sounding a thunderous crack as it hit a mechanical arm, not able to stop it but managing to send it twisting momentary away on its ball joints before it could scoop Zenigata into the cage forming itself around him. The affected arm twitched and spasmed just a moment before another beam of light found Jigen and sent it shooting toward its target.

"Let's go!" He barked as he overtook Zenigata on his run to the door.

"Not without Lupin!" Zenigata yelled back and dodged another panel as it dropped down from the ceiling. He turned quickly and ran back towards his husband. "Lupin!"

He was cut off by Goemon who took him strongly by the arm.

"No, Zenigata! He'll be fine! Come!" He urged firmly and began to pull him away. Zenigata be could see that Lupin was closing the gap. He was maybe twenty feet away now but the infrared eyes were greedily smothering him, forcing Lupin to strafe to one side before continuing in the direction on the door.

Goemon was right and Zenigata knew it. Lupin could do this. He had held his own many times in and he'd do it again now. Zenigata turned and ran for the door alongside Goemon.

"The eyes, you gotta get where the eyes can't see ya!!" Jigen hollered. He turned at the waist and tried to get a bead on the facets in the chandelier in hopes of shooting out the offensive red lights but he hissed and dropped his hat to shade himself when one flashed across his face, dazzling his vision. He was standing in the room's doorway and stumbled out into the hall. First Goemon then Zenigata ran through the door to the relative safety of the back hall. Zenigata rushed back to the doorway and peered out apprehensively at the last man.

"Come on, Lupin. Come on!" He growled between his teeth.

Lupin was making good progress now. He shoved a display of split geodes over and when an arm went to drop down before him it got caught on the fallen display and Lupin slid under the gap. He was perhaps less than ten steps away from the door where his three companions were waiting for him, each man with a look of hard distress on his face. To them Lupin was more silhouette than visible; an arm pumping black shape haloed in red light. Every single facet of the chandelier was turned on and tracking Lupin and its spider-like arms all converged on the edge of the room. Just as Lupin reached the door every panel of the machine crashed into a fence and dropped down, scraping against the wall and coming down with a deafening clang across the door, separating Lupin from the others.

"Damn it!” He spat, hands coming up to grip the bars. Without even thinking, Zenigata was gripping the bars and looking forlornly at Lupin. He tried vainly to move the grate but it wouldn't budge.

"Lupin. What do we do?" He asked pressing his face through the bars. Lupin was smiling despite the dire circumstances.

"What's the matter, old man? I thought the sight of me behind bars made you happy." He joked. There was something tender and forlorn beneath the happy go lucky attitude. The red spots where swarming Lupin's back and face and pieces of the wall were moving in and starting to set up a perimeter around Lupin. Now that he was no longer a moving target the system was zeroed in on Lupin and the walls were closing in to meet him. Outside they could hear distant sirens approaching. Zenigata's brow was furrowed in both frustration and worry.

"You know I wanted to put you behind bars. It's not as fun seeing you there when I didn't do it." he joked shakily. Getting Lupin upset wouldn't help anyone now. Zenigata knew his husband and knew things worked better for him if they could laugh off the serious situation.

"There he is..." Lupin was calmly pleased by Zenigata's ribbing, as false as it was. His smile, shallow and thin, did not waver. "Afraid you boys are going to have to go on without me. Bit of a tight spot I got myself into."

The panic was back in Zenigata's voice and eyes. Reaching through the bars, he cupped the side of Lipin's face. "No! I'm not leaving you!"

Lupin heard the clang of the cage closing on his left side and slowly start to push towards him in an attempt to crowd him into a corner.

"Sorry, Pops. I can't budge on this one. You got to go. I'll draw the cops. Things are going to be hot for a while but Jigen knows what to do. Don't you, pal?" Lupin pulled a key on an elastic loop from his jacket and extended it to the gunman. His nonchalance was infuriating but Jigen didn't need Lupin to elaborate. He reached out and took the key, slipping it into his own coat.

"Sure thing, boss." He answered but he did not look at all happy about it. It seemed he disliked this turn of events as much as Zenigata did, though he kept his opinion to himself. Goemon, sword at the ready, had already retreated to the bottom of the escalator. At the top, bands of blue and red light were starting to dance through the windows and across the ceiling.

"If we are to go, we must do it now!" Goemon warned. Zenigata looked from his husband to the other men and back quickly. He kissed Lupin through the bars, quick but passionate, before looking at Lupin seriously.

"You better be safe. I don't know what I'd do without you." Reluctantly he pulled his arms back through the bars and turned to the other man. "Let's go."

Lupin watched his husband dash away with Jigen and Goemon. His smile flagged a little. He hoped in the secret part of his heart where he allowed his brief examples of doubt to dwell that he had made the right choices.

  
The streets were on high alert. The four square blocks around the exhibition hall were thick with speeding police vehicles all converging on the call sent out from the automated security system. They were three deep around the Fiat, forcing them to retreat on foot. The trio of men moved in fits and bursts, sticking to the shadows and waiting for stretches of up to ten minutes at a time for the streets to clear before hurrying on. They would not be able to make it to their apartment on the other side of town at this rate. Jigen was leading the way and when he saw a construction site abandoned for the night, he took the opportunity to duck into the skeleton on the half finished skyscraper. The last flurry of movement had been a prolonged one and between that and the adrenaline, everyone was tired. They all stood catching their breath in the dimness.

"Damn cops...damn job...damn stupid Lupin..." Jigen puffed.

"He'll get out. He always does." Zenigata said. He was leaning against a wall and trying to catch his breath. The former inspector said it more for himself than to the other men in the space. Reassurance was almost as good as hope in hard times, he decided.

"You..." It was a low expectoration from the back of Jigen's throat. He whirled on Zenigata and stalked across the concrete slab floor. His hands were tense claws and he had them held out to Zenigata as if he were ready to throttle the man. "You did this, you son of a bitch!”

It was Goemon who stepped in before Jigen could make contact. He held him back but only with the grip of his sheathed sword. Jigen still seethed and glared bullets as well aimed as he had ever shot from his spot a scant six inches away.

"Jigen, don't." Goemon turned eyes as hard and cold as a frozen lake on Zenigata. His anger was just as potent as Jigen's, if not better restrained. "Physical punishment will only detract from his shame."

Zenigata swallowed hard.

"I-I didn't mean to! I didn't know! Lupin didn't tell me anything about alarms IN the cases." He held back the need to be combative. He wanted to fight back but Lupin was gone. For now. Only for now, he told himself. He looked at Jigen with hard resolve. "If I did set it off, it was an accident. You know I'd never want Lupin captured."

"Accident or not, you're the one who messed it up! And with nothing to show for it!" Jigen barked. He was beyond accusing Zenigata of playing the long con and he thought it a bit of a Freudian slip for Zenigata to at once defend himself thusly. That wasn't what upset Jigen. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't rearrange your face!"

Clenching his fists, Zenigata began to answer but paused when he felt a sharp piercing pain in his left palm. He opened his hand and there lay Apollo, the blue diamond. It glittered beautifully even in the low light.

"Well we didn't leave empty-handed in the end." he said evenly before offering the earring to Jigen.

Jigen looked down at the earring dumbfounded for just a moment and then he was shouting: "They're earrings, you damn moron! They're no good unless they're a pair! Who'd buy one earring without the other!? You're completely hopeless!"

With a growl, Jigen turned away and stalked off to the other side of the room. He pulled off his hat and raked stiff angry fingers through his hair.

"They were sold separately and were made a pair" Zenigata countered. He looked down at the single earring in his possession. Something about it pulled at his heart but now wasn't the time. "You would have known that if you were actually listening to Lupin when he told us about all of this."

"Yeah, well you were a cop that was made into a thief and you're still worthless! It's not what it was, its what it is! And you're nothing!" Jigen tossed it over his shoulder like a grenade. He took a heavy seat on a stack of cement bags and crammed his hat back onto his head. His posture was hunched but rigid, like a vulture and it was a bit disturbing in comparison to the usual loose and uncurled way he preferred to lounge. Goemon gave Zenigata another steely glare and crossed to stand beside the gunman. They both had their backs to him.

Zenigata leaned back against the half finished wall. He should fight back. He should say something but at that moment he felt like Jigen was right. He was useless. Couldn't even protect his husband. What kind of a man was that? For a moment the only sounds came from distant sirens and other city noises. A cold wind swept through the skeletal building, a final remnant of winter that was hesitant to go as the days passed by.

"What are we to do now? Lupin said you would know." Goemon asked Jigen at last. Jigen had thrown away his cigarette when they had retreated as to keep the burning cherry from giving them away in the dark. Now he lit up and took a deep drag.

"We talked this out. He thought things might get too hot around here, whether we scored or not. Plus he hadn't found a buyer for the goods and knew we'd need a place to lay low until he did. We've got a contact in the country, someone willing to hide us." He explained flatly. "Looks like we have to go on the road without him."

"Is this how you work? Things get hot so you leave your boss in the frying pan?" Zenigata said. He didn't want to be angry. He didn't want to fight. Honestly, all the fight had been taken out of him now. They just needed to show him how all of this worked. The words he used could have been better but it was all he could think of to say.

"You god-damned pig! You're not part of this so just shut up!" Jigen was back on his feet again and for the second time in as many minutes, Goemon was holding him back, this time with his hand clamped firmly on the man's shoulder. If the first time had been a suggestion of self restraint, this was a mandatory choice being made for Jigen.

For a heart stopping second Jigen's hand moved down and back for his Magnum but he aborted that plan and just wrenched himself from Goemon's grasp to turn away again. It was a barely controlled action. Goemon continued to stare Zenigata down and approached him by only a few steps.

"If this is what Lupin told us to do, we must do it. He has his reasons and they are most likely sound." He told Zenigata. He turned to follow Jigen but stopped deliberately to regard Zenigata again over his shoulder. Another wind traveled through the shelter of the concrete structure and ruffled Goemon's hair and the folds of his robe. It was bitterly cold and chilled Zenigata but it seemed not to affect the samurai.

"It may be in your best interest to not speak of Lupin. Despite your relationship with him, it is clear that there are some aspects of him that you know nothing of. Perhaps you do not belong here." It was an observation as precise and sharp as Zantetsuken itself and Goemon did not wait to see how it cut the former inspector.

Zenigata swallowed hard and looked away. This wasn't the place for him. It was foolish to think he could be a thief but knowing Lupin made you feel like the seemingly impossible could be real. Loving the man meant you dreamed new impossible things each day and tried to wish them into the world through sheer force of will. He would follow Jigen and keep his mouth shut. After all. There wasn't much more he could do as a worthless washed up ex-cop.


	4. Chapter 4

It was the train station they had at last ended up in the earliest hours of the morning with Jigen and Goemon not looking back to make sure Zenigata had kept up. The sun was up and there was a small number of people out and about but the full force of the morning commute had not begun. Jigen, who was the only member of the group who had complete knowledge of what the plan was, produced the key Lupin had passed him and led the group to the many lines of lockers to one side of the station's waiting area. Quickly locating the locker with the key's corresponding number, Jigen opened the locker and pulled out a duffle bag. He crouched on the ground with the other two men gathered around him and opened it. Inside was a stack of cash, a small file containing fake IDs for each of them and a series of extra large ziplock bags each marked with a first initial in permanent marker. Jigen tossed the bag with the other's initials to them.

"Get changed. We gotta blend in. Cops always have eyes on public roads after a hit like that." Jigen instructed. He pulled out the other two bags, set his own aside and held the remaining bag a moment, his thumb barely brushing the uppercase L in familiar cursive on it before shoving it back into the duffle, perhaps a bit too hard. Goemon had opened his bag and was peering inside dubiously.

"I'm not wearing this." He stated firmly. Jigen gave him a non-plussed look.

"Get over yourself. We stick out like sore thumbs, you especially. So just suck it up and deal." He responded. Goemon scowled and said nothing but eventually moved to the men's room nearby.

Zenigata had seen how Jigen had reacted to Lupin's bag. The way he had handled it brought up feelings and worries he'd put away some time ago. Even though it made him grit his teeth at the prospect, Zenigata took his bag of clothes to the men's room and said nothing. When he was in the stall he opened the bag and started pulling clothes out. When he saw them it made him want to laugh at what Lupin would have seen as a joke and also groan at the damn monkey's little game.

The blue jeans had been strategically ripped at the knees and fit a bit tighter than Zenigata preferred at the hip and ankle but they were overall acceptable. Zenigata put them on, not understanding why anyone would put holes in perfectly good pants on purpose. It was the shirt that had thrown him for a loop. It was tight fitting but too long, reaching almost to Zenigata's mid-thigh. And worst of all it looked as if the sleeves had been cut off. There was no jacket or sweater to cover his arms. Lupin had deliberate given Zenigata a set of clothing that would force him to show off his tattoo! He considered putting his own coat over it but remembered that they were wanted men who probably had their most recent descriptions floating around with every cop in Tokyo. Best not to risk it. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He studied the shirt in a forlorn way.

It was a Prada shirt if the bold letters above the sporty drawing of a racecar and checked flag were to be believed and the tag in the shirt matched. Suddenly suspicious, Zenigata stripped the distressed jeans off and read the inner label: Dolce & Gabanna. Did that jackass spend a thousand dollars to make Zenigata look like he just rolled out of bed? Weren't they strapped for cash as it was? It was absurd, Zenigata thought to himself and in the same breath reminded himself that it was perfectly Lupin. Seeing no other option, he pulled them on, taking the time to neatly fold and put his suit into the bag the incognito outfit had come out of. At the bottom of the bag was a pair of white low topped sneakers, Louis Vuitton judging by the telltale strip of LV monogram in red along the side. He tied them on and with some trepidation headed outside. 

The waiting area was still mostly deserted so it was without hesitation that Zenigata laid his eyes on Goemon. He was standing in profile to Zenigata's right, gazing out the window stoically. Zenigata took him in from the top and worked his way down. He was in a tight fitting white t-shirt with a black and white photograph of a woman with a pin-up hairstyle silk-screened onto it. She was standing over a smashed stand-up bass with akimbo legs straining the confines of her pencil dress. "Kiss kiss, Kill kill" the legend above her read. Layered over that was a light cotton cardigan that reached all the way to the floor. It was obviously made for looks and not warmth as Zenigata could see light through its thin grey material. Goemon had pushed the sleeves up to his elbow and Zenigata noticed that the man was even wearing a thin leather cuff on his wrist. His obedience to wear everything given to him struck Zenigata a bit funny despite himself. The look was rounded off by black drawstring pants that stopped at the mid-shin and a pair of velcro strap sandals with foam soles. It was surreal to see the man in Western clothing and there was something in the way Goemon carried himself that outright rejected it. The only words his mind could come up with to describe the man were "urban Shogun".

Zenigata approached him and at first panicked to see the samurai's sword missing but he then took a closer look at the strapped umbrella carry bag Goemon was holding. He was resting his hands on the umbrella's handle and Zenigata recognized the light wood of Zantetsuken.

"At least I'm not the only one he made look like this." He quipped as he came to stand beside Goemon. Goemon gave a sigh that was most likely meant to be cleansing but came across as merely frustrated. His eyes moved over Zenigata as if appraising the damage and then haltingly wandered in a direction over his shoulder. Zenigata followed his line of sight to the ticket window where someone had his back turned to them and was in the process of buying tickets.

He was in wine red slacks and black loafers and Zenigata could see a bare ankle peeking out in between. Then he was turning away from the window, and three train tickets in hand, Jigen approached them in a slate blue chambray sports jacket with cuffed sleeves hanging open over a v-neck white t-shirt. A scarf of a few shades lighter than the jacket was knotted low over Jigen's heart. The gunman was still wearing his hat which only served to make the outfit as a whole that much more stuck up and high fashion by tying in the black of the hat with the shoes and a patent leather belt, narrow but probably study enough to holster Jigen's magnum. It seemed calculated by Lupin who had offered no alternative headwear in Jigen's kit. The gunman has an eye for the quality of clothes and he was sure every piece of it was as high end as possible but he hated how hard it went against his personal style. He had actually peeked into Lupin's bag hoping to find something better as they were the same size but one look at the silk bomber coat, black with red and cream roses on it, reassured Jigen that his was the understated of the two.

Jigen had the most miserable look on his face that Zenigata had ever seen and it rippled upon seeing the other two men in their own garb. They made quite the band, Jigen remarked to himself. They were the epitome of street style, seen through Lupin's eye. Intentionally unintentional and deliberately casual. Somehow both completely innocuous and absolutely suspicious at the same time. It was like some prank. Looking at the others it was clear now what a blast Lupin would have been having if he were present. That thought split his anger between Zenigata for his earlier screwup and Lupin for letting that screwup get the best of him.

"Where are we headed?" Zenigata asked shoving his hands in his pockets. He had tucked the earring in his pocket and was currently running his thumb over it like the diamond was a very expensive worry stone.

"Gifu Prefecture." Jigen said with a serious air in hopes no one would bring up his clothing. His eyes flicked over to Goemon in search of a reaction. It was hard to tell but Jigen believed the samurai's grip on his sword handle tightened. Their destination was definitely a surprise to Zenigata.

"That's practically the middle of nowhere. Who's out there that you guys would know?" Zenigata asked while trying to imagine what Lupin could have ever done in Gifu prefecture. People went there for skiing but it was early spring now. Not nearly enough snow on the ground for that activity and while there were the old castles it didn't make for an exciting vacation spot. The tourists that came were usually average families, not the rich elites that Lupin was known to pal around with. Other than that it was a fishing and farming villages that kept up the ancient practice of papermaking. Nothing worth stealing was there unless Lupin suddenly wanted to open a cormorant sanctuary and that was wildly unlikely.

"A friend." Was Jigen's only reply. His anger had become more of a cold guardedness. He held out the duffle bag and after both men had deposited their old clothes inside, he shouldered it and made his way out to the platform. Zenigata watched Goemon follow after and could see he was subtly green around the gills.

The trip was about two and a half hours with a switch of trains at one point but later that morning they finally arrived. Zenigata was looking out the window as the train sped into the prefecture. With early morning light spilling into the valley, it was easy to think that they had somehow traveled back in time. The peaked A-frame houses looked like something from an old tale of when ronin samurai roamed the country in search of service.

Snow clung stubbornly to the upper curves of the mountain and along the roadside, tucking into spaces between rocks and at bases of trees where no feet could tread on them. Any spot the snow had not monopolized was taken up by early shoots of grass. The yellow-green color of the herbage belayed its newness into the world, lacking chlorophyll after having pushed through the cold earth from its seasonal sleep. Pearls of pink clung to bare branches. Silent promises of a sea of iconic pink blossoms under which families and friends would picnic and play, only furthering the illusion of an old world that clung to its history compared to the tall buildings and late night lights of Tokyo they had left behind.

A sense of panic took hold of Zenigata as the train began to slow and enter the station. Their clothes were so modern and urban that in this feudal tableau they would absolutely be noticed. He calmed when he thought of the rest of the trip. The way people's eyes would rest on one of them then slide away and suddenly his husband's genius dawned on him. He looked from Jigen to Goemon with a small smile on his face.

Goemon always stood out in his samurai gear and his taciturn look. Now he seemed more a moody hipster that could easily be replaced by any other of his ilk. His and Jigen's suits were made for the men. They didn't brag of their prices to the outside observer but rather of the man who they had been tailored to fit. Even though Zenigata knew how much his own suits had cost and had glimpses the labels on Jigen's clothes a few times they weren't the flash of their current ensemble. People were seeing the clothes and not the men wearing them. Obviously, there had been some money spent as they were clearly in a collection of high-end men's streetwear and that was enough for people.

The train stopped and Jigen stood from his seat and shouldered the duffel bag. Wordlessly, Goemon followed and Zenigata came after him. Zenigata hung back a few steps behind his traveling companions. His cop instincts often told him when it was best to observe and now they were quietly badgering him to do so. Jigen had led them from the train station and stopped outside to gather his bearings just a moment before continuing down the little road, paved but not so recently so as to have any sidewalk to speak off. The sureness of his steps through the little town denoted he had been here before. Goemon was familiar with the area as well, but for less than savory reasons it seemed. Zenigata was not nearly as well versed in the samurai's body language, which was a type of wordless speech to Jigen and Lupin, but even he could see the tenseness and discomfort he was experiencing. In fact, he had been quietly stewing over some apparent nameless evil ever since he heard the train's overhead speaker announce they were pulling into Hida-Furukawa station. Zenigata wondered what in this little mountain town could put a stoic warrior like Goemon on edge like that.

The further they went along through the town center and back out towards the outskirts, the more the scenery began to dig at Zenigata. He too had been in this part of Japan before, he knew it. But then again Zenigata had been just about everywhere at some point in his long career so it didn't go very far to think such. Still, there was something in particular about these streets and the surrounding countryside that was unmistakably familiar.

The final link in the chain came as they left the shapes of the offices and market shops and back out along the low hills dotted with residences that Zenigata could see spaced further and further apart on the road out of town. It was the form of a dilapidated temple. Zenigata knew that old building. It had been old and shabby when he had gone there many years ago. When he had lived and prayed there for half a year after one of Lupin's first faked deaths.

It was in this town that Fuma ninja clan had infiltrated the local police and had attempted to ransack an ancient fortress in the mountains. Zenigata let his wide eyes follow the temple even as he walked past it. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what or if either of the other men would even care. Zenigata's mind boggled at what Lupin had in mind by sending them here of all places. It vaguely wondered if the headstone he had erected in the garden ("Here Lies Lupin" it had read, although there had been no body or ashes to inter beneath) still stood.

They had traversed the length of the town to get to their destination. That being said, it had been a somewhat short trip. Now they stood before a large A-frame house with a thatched room. On the other side of the front yard was a barn with a sedan parked beside it. Goemon was visibly sweating now but he did his best not to show any discomfort.

Jigen knocked on the front door. The door slid open a moment later. Not all the way; Just enough for a small dark brown eye to peer out at the men. The owner of the eye must have been of very small stature as it appeared only a little over three feet from the bottom of the door.

"Who are you?" A high voice asked from the crack in the door. Zenigata leaned to the side to get a better look at what was probably a child blocking their way. He didn't exactly blame the kid. In their current get-ups he wouldn't have trusted them either. Jigen slung the duffle bag over one shoulder and bent at the waist to address the little gatekeeper.

"We're looking for your ma." He said in a no nonsense way. To the others, it sounded like a low demand for the kid to open the suitcase and see if the cash was all there. He must have realized as much, so making an effort to not be so firm as to scare the child (Jigen was aware of how he looked to kids) Jigen added in a tone more mild: "She in?"

The door opened more and there stood a little girl still in her school clothes. A flowy cap-sleeved top in beige with a knee-length skirt of navy blue to accompany it. The chill in the air must have been why the child's mother had put her in white wool tights as well. The clothes were just a little too beat for regular play clothes but would have gone well in any sensible kindergarten classroom. She had long straight black hair and bangs that would have laid nicely if it wasn't for the cowlick. Zenigata's estimated guess of her age was about six but her glower was that of an annoyed teenager.

"Who wants to know?" She asked pointedly. It was obvious that she wasn't going to let the men in. That was her plan at least. With little warning, a smaller child, this one a boy with shaggy dark brown hair, ducked under her arm and ran out the door.

"Visitors!" He shrieked, delighted as he ran up to Goemon and looked up at him with a big smile." Hi! "

"Minoru!" The little girl squealed as she stomped her foot. "Mama said we don't talk to strangers!" She grumbled. Cautiously, she slipped out the door and went to the little boy and grabbed his wrist trying to lead him back to the house. Minoru didn't move though. He was looking up at Goemon as if there was a puzzle to be solved. When the answer came to him he pointed at Goemon and looked at his sister.

"Top shelf man! " He exclaimed. The girl shook her head.

"That can't be top shelf man. He's too old!" She answered before trying to scoop up her little brother under the arms and pick him up to carry him inside.

"But Tsubaki!" Minoru started but the rest was lost in giggles. His sister had tried this tactic many times and had never been successful. She was only about six inches taller than him and her petite frame meant she didn't outweigh him by much even with the age difference. Tsubaki was left to shuffle sideways like an odd and very slow carb as she tried to make her way to the door.

Zenegata couldn't help but smile. He liked kids. Always had. Seeing this little girl trying unsuccessfully to herd her little brother seemed to resonate with him for some odd reason. He leaned forward to get a better look at the little girl.

"You take really good care of your little brother. I bet you're gonna be a great mama someday." He said with a smile. Tsubaki looked up at Zenigata somewhat surprised before letting go of the dead weight of Minoru, who then ran back into the house giggling. She stepped closer tentatively to the older man and kicked him in the shin. With a yowl, Zenigata grabbed his leg and nearly fell over. "You little brat! What's the big idea?"

Tsubaki ran back to the porch and stick her tongue out at the men.

"I'm gonna be an inventor like great grandpa when I grow up." She hollered indignantly back.

It was incredible how much chaos could take place on a front doorstep. Each of the adults were struggling with indignance, embarrassment and confusion. Zenigata and the girl were bickering back and forth about how she should be more respectful to adults but the girl seemed to be having none of it, insisting that she didn't have to do anything an ugly old man told him. Jigen was about to cut in and tell them both to shut up, the absurdity of having to scold a man a decade his senior for getting into a shouting match with a kindergartner not lost upon him, when a figure stepped into the doorway.

"Tsubaki! What on Earth are you going on about out there?" She called to the little girl. A woman dressed casually in leggings and a short hanten housecoat to keep out the early spring chill appeared in the doorway. She had the little boy's hand in hers. The woman who stood in the door was not entirely unknown to Zenigata, though perhaps she had aged ten years and the last time he had seen her had only been briefly, which put a haze over his recollection. Goemon on the other hand, could not forget that sweet smile even with the slight impression of what could become laugh lines in another ten. The next thing all three men noticed, despite the loose fit of her coat, was that she was very pregnant.

Goemon's face, wearing an expression like his very executioner had stepped out into the yard, went white and then, curiously, pink.

"Murasaki..." He choked. Murasaki looked overjoyed when her eyes fell on the trio standing in her doorway.

"Goemon! Jigen! You made it!" She said warmly "If I knew you were in town already, we would have met you at the station!" 

Minoru had his thumb in his mouth as he stood there with his mother. When he pulled it out of his mouth he once again pointed at Goemon and yelled: "Top shelf man!" His thumb was then popped back into his mouth.

"I told you it's not top shelf man! Top shelf man looks like a prince from a fairy tale. This guy looks like an old woman!" Tsubaki yelled as she turned on her brother. Jigen couldn't help the snort of laughter at Tsubaki's observation. He slapped his hand over his mouth but it didn't stifle the sound.

"Tsubaki. You behave yourself." Murasaki scolded. Goemon's blush deepened.

"Top shelf man? Why do you call me that?" He asked, his tenor voice disjointed by embarrassment.

"You aren't top shelf man!" Tsubaki yelled. Her face was going red. 

"Tsubaki!" Murasaki scolded again. This time the tone left little to be argued about. "Would you please explain yourself?"

Again Tsubaki reddened. She shuffled her feet as she looked down at them. "In great grampa's workshop. There's a man's picture on his top shelf. He's dressed like a samurai."

Murasaki looked at her daughter, surprised. "I forgot I put that picture in there." She said in wonder before laughing. She turned to Goemon. "She's talking about that old picture of us. You remember the one, don't you?" Her smile was bright in the light of nostalgia. Goemon's eyes wandered to his feet in their velcro strapped sandles.

"I believe so, yes..." He answered. The smile on Murasaki's face removed years from her. For just a moment she was the spunky girl that Goemon had almost married that day. Turning to the children she said: "Tsubaki, Minoru. This is Mr. Jigen and Mr. Goemon. They're old friends of mommy's."

Zenigata stepped forward. That smile reminded him who she was. He did know this place. It has been this girl's grandfather that he had carried down the mountain.

"Kouichi Zenigata ma'am." He paused at the next part. That relayed his position in the ICPO but that was the past and it caught in his throat briefly. Once he pulled himself together he added "Thank you for helping us."

"Oh! So you're the man that finally got our Lupin to settle down." She answered in a little teasing tone and a small smirk. Zenigata blushed.

"Yes, ma'am. That'd be me." He was smiling but there was a small pain in his chest.

"Lupin don't settle down. He just works everyone else up."Jigen interjected. It was what Jigen could pass for humor with a relative stranger. Murasaki seemed to get it as she chuckled a bit and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She said. "But what are we doing standing out here in the cold? Come in. We can catch up. Tsubaki, would you like to help make lunch for everyone?"

"Uh-huh. Can we have Onigirazu, Mama?" She asked.

"Of course, dear. But only if you learn to be nice to our guests." Murasaki replied. Tsubaki gave Zenigata one last dubious snotty look and bounded into the house, ahead of the group.

"Okay, Mama!" She called behind her. Minoru toddled after her. Goemon took Jigen by the arm as they all began to file in.

"Did Lupin tell you we would be calling upon Murasaki?" He lowered his voice to a hissed whisper. His embarrassment had given way to simmering anger.

"Of course he did." Jigen whispered back.

"Then...why didn't you say-" Goemon began.

"Oh come on. Like you really would have come along if you knew?" Jigen cut him off. The question was an attack upon Goemon's pride but Jigen dared the man with his eyes to challenge him. Goemon's brow remained furrowed but he said nothing. Jigen took that as answer enough and added: "It's only going to be a day or two. Just till Lupin tells us where to meet him. So be cool, would ya?"

Goemon's lips flattened into an uncomfortable line as he grappled with the limited options laid out before him. He nodded tightly and let go of Jigen's arm. The gunman entered the house with his easy slouching gate and Goemon followed.

The house had the feel of history as soon as Zenigata walked in. It was an old building and it showed on the inside as it had on the outside. A home well over a hundred years old but with little touches of modern domesticity here and there. It was the children's things that reminded one that they were in the current century and not a few hundred years behind.

A bright pink umbrella with cartoon animals sat beside a traditional getabako in the genkan as they entered the house and removed their shoes. A laundry basket full of small brightly colored clothes sat against one wall. Murasaki must have been about to fold them when the commotion had happened out on her front lawn, Zenigata thought as he looked at them.

"You can sit in here while we get lunch ready." Murasaki said as she motioned to the living room with a smile. She then turned and started towards the kitchen. The two children stood there and observed the men, Tsubaki with open distrust and Minoru with wide eyed curiosity as he continued to suck his thumb.

"Tsubaki, I thought you were going to help me with lunch." Murasaki called behind her. The little girl gave the men one more glare before turning and following her mother. Minoru stayed a moment longer before turning and toddling along.

As the men entered the living room the signs of the family we more prevalent here. An iPad sat on the kotatsu which was still out to chase away the chill of early spring. A few abandoned toys were scattered around the room and a well-loved yellow blanket with embroidered ducklings marching along the bottom was draped haphazardly over a cushion in front of the television. Cartoon mice danced across the screen as they sang about the joys of counting. New pictures of the family that had been taken with a smartphone were mixed with old black and white photos throughout the room. A new family occupying the space of an ancient one.

Zenigata sat down, exhausted. It felt like he hadn't slept in days. He looked from the singing mice in the television back to the two other men. 

"Don't remember you guys having hideouts like this when I was chasing ya." He said dryly. Jigen scoffed and lowered himself to sit as well. He placed his feet beneath the kotatsu's blanket. He could swear it was colder in the creaky old house than it was outside.

"You ain't wrong about that. Don't know what Lupin was thinking, calling up Murasaki outta the blue like this. Maybe he thought we'd all take a little vacation out in the country after the job. Sounds like something he'd do." Jigen explained.

"A tasteless joke." Goemon deduced. The venom was there in his words.

"Might be. I mean I didn't get it when he told me the plan but he didn't bother explaining it. Just said the girl would be willing to put us up. And come on. Since when were Lupin's jokes not tasteless?" Jigen agreed. Goemon sensed Jigen was not going be much more sympathetic than that and chose to extract himself from the conversation. He stood at the far side of the room and looked out into the house's central courtyard. The garden was overgrown with the bramble of last year's flowers and no telltale green shoots had yet emerged to signify the spring to come. Beyond that, the pond was not frozen over but looked still stagnant and frigid nonetheless.

"Why would this be a joke?" Zenigata asked as he looked between the two men. "You guys have always taken your hideouts pretty seriously."

"If anybody knows what a pain in the ass Lupin can be, it's you, Pops. The petty stuff he's done to get a cheap laugh off of you over the years..." Jigen retorted. There was a shade of amusement in the way he said it like Jigen was reminiscent of some such occasion. Zenigata rolled his eyes.

"Those were pranks to throw me off your trail. He never played with your hideouts." He said to Jigen before turning his attention on Goemon. "I'm part of the team. I deserve to know."

Jigen would have begged to differ on all accounts but didn't bother.

"Lupin let me in on it cause he knew Goemon would bail if there was even a chance we would be heading out here. If he didn't tell you it's cause he had a reason. Lupin never leaves anything up to chance. You can take that up with him if you want but don't grill me." He said. Zenigata couldn't help but glare daggers at Jigen.

"My husband doesn't keep things from me." There had been an inkling in the very back of the former inspector's mind that Jigen might still harbor feelings for Lupin and the last few weeks had brought these worries to the forefront. Reminding Jigen who Lupin was married to was a subtle dig but he knew it'd have an effect. Finally, he looked away. "He was probably going to tell me everything when we got here. You know what a showboat he is."

Jigen's expression remained unread beneath the brim of his hat. He unzipped the duffle bag and, digging through its contents, removed a plastic bag matching the ones each man had taken their current outfit from that morning. He tossed it onto the table like a preserved piece of evidence. The cursive L marking the front stared up at Zenigata. It was a silent rebuttal that Lupin had had every intention of coming with the group.

"If this is all a joke or whatever, he's not here to enjoy it." The gunman added coolly. It felt like a punch to the face to Zenigata.

"It wasn't my fault!" he countered leaning in. "I did what he asked me to do! I don't know why the alarms got set off!"

Jigen ignored Zenigata. Clearly, the point went to him in this round. He looked at the turned shape of Goemon standing cut out against the watery outside light.

"How ya holding up, Goemon?" He called.

"A mother... She's a mother..." Goemon had retreated into own thoughts and his response had been little more than his international monologue leaking from him.

"Yeah. Almost three times over by now." He said and cut his hand through the air in a rounded arc over his abdomen creating an imaginary stomach heavy with child. Some might have seen it as twisting the knife a little but Jigen saw it as a plain fact that warranted saying. Admittedly he was feeling a little mean to anyone within earshot after enduring the last twenty-four hours and all the theatrics were putting him on edge but he kept his attitude neutral all the same.Goemon's eye fell on Jigen and his gaze was hard. His thumb twitched to Zantetsuken's hilt and flicked it open. Like the cocking of a revolver.

"Don't you flash that thing at me. I've got a lot on my mind." Jigen said it like a disapproving master to a dog that had seen fit to growl. He was mostly sure Goemon would not act on the threat, but there was always the slim chance that the samurai's nature (one Jigen might call "drama queenish" if he really did want his head taken off) might get the best of him, so he held his tongue beyond that. Logic was the man's ally today, in the company of such worked up individuals.

"You're the one causing the problems, you know. Getting all uppity with everyone. None of us are happy about this but we gotta deal with it." Zenigata pointed a finger at Jigen, the elbow of his tattooed arm resting on the top of the table. Jigen looked at the finger like it was the second weapon pointed at him in just as many minutes.

"I'm the one causing problems..." Jigen repeated. He again tilted his head in Goemon's direction "Hey Goemon, I'm the one causing problems. Dy'ja hear that?"

Goemon scoffed softly but did not look away from his view of the courtyard when he muttered: "You're insufferable. Both of you. All of you."

The final sentence was a condemnation of the absent Lupin and the samurai hoped he felt his scorn whenever he was. Jigen didn't rise to the words. He continued to focus on Zenigata, even toned.

"I may be in a bit of a mood, sure, but I think I earned that. I'm a friggin saint for all the garbage I've had to put up with. If you wanted to keep playing cops and robbers, you should've stayed a cop. Weren't any good at that either but at least I didn't have to babysit you." Jigen lifted his head and Zenigata saw his eyes rake over the koi fish with distaste.

"I ain't trying to be a cop. Nothing I've done has been what I'd have done as a cop." Zenigata growled. He shifted so his tattoo was a bit more hidden. "No one asked you to babysit me. I'm a grown man. I know I screwed up with the tattoo but at least I'm trying to make this work. You're just being an as-" remembering there were kids in the house stilled his tongue on the expletive. "A jerk. You're being a real jerk."

"Someone has to be the jerk around here. That's the only way anything gets done. I don't want it to be my business but when you screw with my livelihood, you make it my business." Jigen spat. He leaned onto the table with heavy elbows, hunching down around himself. He lowered his head and grumbled into his steepled finger. "We all can't be as lucky as you. Must be nice to land a job you don't have to be good at cause you're married to the boss."

"I gave up my whole life to be with him!" Zenigata snapped back. "It's one of the reasons he married me! He knew I'd be willing to offer the grand gesture! You'd know that if you knew him the way you think you do!" His eyes darkened ever so slightly as he looked at the gunman. "Maybe you'd be in my position with this 'lucky job' if you did. Seems like you want it bad enough."

Jigen jumped to his feet at that. His eyes burned within the shadow of his hat as he looked down at Zenigata. The sound and movement caused Goemon to turn to the men, his already tense body starting into a crouch on instinct. The sliver of metal peeking from the umbrella holder glittered in the daylight.

"If you shoot your son of a bitchin' mouth off one more time-" Jigen was raising his voice for the first time since the construction sight the night before. Before he could continue they all heard the door slide open with a hiss and Murasaki was standing there with a concerned but kindly look on her face. She had a cordless phone in her hand. Minoru was loosely holding onto the edge of her coat and a step behind her, Tsubaki had a plate of rice and fish sandwiched in nori, some messier and more overfilled than others.

The room went silent. All the men in the room felt foolish. The cartoon mice on the television sung on.

"It's Lupin." Murasaki said cautiously, lifting the phone up. Zenigata was on his feet in a second with his hand out.

"Give it to me. I'll talk to him."

Jigen was already on the move and took the receiver as if Zenigata had not spoken.

"Yeah, Boss." He said into it. He sounded as cool as ever as if he had not just been ready to cause a fistfight in a country mother's living room.

"He's my husband. I wanna talk to him." Zenigata grumbled as he stood beside Jigen. Minoru looked up at the bickering man with the general disinterest of a three year old. It was the shine of Goemon's blade that caught his eye and he immediately let go of his mother's coat to pull at his sister's sleeve.

"Top shelf man." He whispered loudly as he pointed at the small bit of blade. The first reaction Tsubaki had was to be annoyed with her little brother but she saw the metal disappear into the handle of the umbrella bag and she instantly bristled.

"It is- it is top shelf man." She whispered back, her face going red as she observed Goemon's profile. "He's real. My samurai is real."

Jigen held up a finger in the universal symbol of anyone dismissing another for the sake of an important call. He moved across the room and opened the sliding door Goemon was standing at, stepped out onto the porch ringing the courtyard. A move both casual (one exiting a noisy room to better hear the person they were speaking to) and deliberate (physically removing Zenigata from the proceedings any further.) He slid the door shut and the group watched him pace with idleness that expressed not agitation but just a physical way to absorb the information he was receiving. His half of the conversation was muffled and tough to make out through the door.

"He told me all about you, you know. Lupin, I mean. I never congratulated you earlier." Murasaki said to Zenigata. It was a strangely conspiratorial way with which she said it, like she was finally allowed to be in on a joke and was enjoying herself immensely. A small smile crept across Zenigata's face.

"Not much to congratulate. Just two fools taking themselves out of the dating pool." He smiled at the pregnant woman. "More of a public service than anything."

Unseen by her mother and the former inspector Tsubaki inched into the room and over to the stoic figure of Goemon. Her approach was cautious and slow but full of anticipation.

"I wouldn't sell either of you short. Lupin calls every now and then and I always get a New Year's card and he's never been stingy on the details. And if it wasn't for you, Grandpa would have died at the bottom of the gorge. You're both a pair of catches, I think." She argued, in a casual way that took Zenigata aback. He thought perhaps Murasaki had no idea they had met before but she was a sharp and observant woman, indeed. So she knew he had defected from his position in the police force. Having someone outside the immediate circle of thieves know his secret made Zenigata itch.

Murasaki began to carefully and laboriously lower her pregnant form down to sit at the kotatsu. Goemon had laid his attention on Jigen out in the courtyard in hopes of catching a snatch of pertinent information. Feeling a bit humbled Zenigata lowered himself to sit on the floor with his hostess. 

"I didn't think you remembered that." He added sneaking furtive glances at her as he watched Jigen pace outside. "I hope he didn't put your family into a bad situation with all of this."

Murasaki sat and only when she had arranged herself to her comfort, she continued the conversation.

"Not at all. Happy to help. We have more than enough room and with Matsu gone it'll be nice to have someone who isn't a preschooler to talk to." She joked. While her mother and Zenigata talked Tsubaki kept inching closer to Goemon.

"He's real. He's real. He's real." She whispered under her breath as though her young mind would finally believe the information. Minoru toddled after his sister, his eyes going from her to the man in interest of what would come next.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Zenigata said with a small bow that only included his head and shoulders. "I'm guessing Matsu must be your husband?"

Goemon's head lifted a bit with the sudden jerk of a predatory bird at the sound of that word but he did not look away from the window. Both Tsubaki and Minoru jumped at Goemon's sudden movement but it didn't seem to deter the little girl's mission. Murasaki nodded. Her eyes softened as she spoke of the man.

"Mmhmm. He works in textiles and is on a buying trip in Hokkaido. He won't be back until April. He felt so bad leaving me with the kids like this, but I'm sure he'll be happy to know I've got a few extra hands around." She explained. Zenigata shook his head with a small frown.

"Isn't he worried you'll have the baby while he's gone?"

That thought had never occurred to Goemon. How far along was Murasaki anyway? It was the end of February and spring was around the corner but there was always the possibility of a late-season snowstorm. Terrifying images of having to deliver Murasaki's child (her _third_ child!) in the snowed-in estate of his former mentor flashed before him. He knew how these things were done but only in the very most general way. Goemon felt his stomach do a backflip. He had not been so out of his depth in years.

"No, I'm not due until the end of April. Golden Week actually, so he'll be on vacation." Murasaki said. Goemon felt a modicum of relief but it was a drop in a sea of uncomfortable feelings.

"I don't think we'll be here very long but we'll help all we can." Zenigata said with a smile. Tsubaki and Minoru looked at each other then back to the older man. His expression had gotten very intense very quickly.

"Excuse me." Tsubaki said in her quietest most diminutive voice. Although be he had been aware of the problem for years (on occasion all three of his partners had mentioned it to him.) Goemon had never mastered the art of keeping his ever serious face from putting him into situations of social gracelessness. When he looked down to acknowledge Tsubaki and the small boy a step behind her, he believed he was wearing a perfectly neutral expression. To the small children, however, his furrowed brow and dark-rimmed eyes looked a bit more imposing. Tsubaki squealed at the harsh look. Minoru only looked mildly alarmed before running out of the room. The little girl held up the plate of food above her head. Her eyes squeezed shut.

"I-I made these!" she exclaimed. The girl's shout had caused both Murasaki and Zenigata to leave their conversation behind and look over to the far side of the room.

Goemon stared a moment longer as if he were processing what Tsubaki had just said. His eye traveled from her to the plate of food. Wordlessly he reached out at took up one of the little bundles of seaweed and rice. It was overstuffed and messily constructed but held together in his hand. Goemon took a bite. His earlier stress melted away in the way only good food on an empty stomach could provide. His shoulders sagged a bit, although he was unaware of the tension that had been in them until it was gone. He finished the bite of the onigirazu then lowered himself to one knee to speak directly to Tsubaki.

"It is very good. You should be proud." He said with a seriousness that was undone by the bit of rice stuck to his chin and the overall situation as observed by the other adults in the room. Tsubaki beamed.

"T-hank ... Thank you so much." She said as she blushed. Smiling from her seat, Murasaki looked at her daughter and wondered if she had ever looked at Goemon like that when she was younger. She was broken from her revery when her son came running in with a picture in a simple frame.

"Top self man." He said simply as he took his thumb out of his mouth and offered the picture to his mother.

"Oh! I forgot I put this in grandpa's study." The woman said as she looked at the photo. A much younger version of herself smiled as Goemon glowered in his usual way. Murasaki's expression changed from soft nostalgic happiness to suspicious concern. "Did you climb up those old shelves again to get this?"

The little boy's eyes went wide for a moment before he rushed to Murasaki and pressed his ear to her large stomach as though listening.

"Baby's hungry." He said after a moment and rushed to Tsubaki to grab the plate from her. Tsubaki didn't want to give up the plate though. 

"Minoru, no!" She said fighting to keep hold.

"Baby's hungry!" He said finally pulling the plate free and rushing it over to his mother and presented it to her. "For the baby."

Murasaki took an onigirazu with a small smile. "That's very kind honey but we're still gonna talk about you climbing when you were told not to later." 

The plate was placed on the table and the little boy sat with a pout. Zenigata laughed. They wouldn't be bored here, that was for sure. 

"At least I'll know you have a good caretaker when we leave in a couple of days."

"What do you mean a month?! You really telling me you're just leaving us in this backwater?" Came the sudden cry from the courtyard. All eyes turned to Jigen standing outside with one hand clamped onto his hat as if it would fly off at any moment. A feather could have knocked Zenigata over in that moment. A month without Lupin. This wasn't supposed to happen again. Jigen opened the door and waited, standing in it, impatiently listening to the voice on the other end.

"I don't care who it is! We've only got one of them; who would buy-? Ya know what?" Jigen was crossing to Zenigata now and he dropped the phone into Zenigata's hands. "You deal with him. Talk some sense into the idiot. I've had enough for one day." He instructed. He stood with his hands in his cocked hips. He was the very picture of moody pique. Zenigata put the phone to his ear and it suddenly occurred to him that he had never spoken to Lupin over the phone before. Not like this. It felt odd.

"Lupin. What's going on?"

Lupin's voice came out from the receiver, all infectious good cheer.

"Hey there, handsome! Good to hear ya!" He chirped. "Jigen got his panties in a bunch still, huh?"

"Well yeah. You just told him we're going to be here for a month when we thought we'd be here for a couple of days." Zenigata said.

"He told me it would just be the weekend. Lying sack of..." Jigen interjected. He kept his emotions in tow long enough to not finish the expletive. He tamped the words down further by snatching up an onigirazu and tearing into it. Zenigata's brow furrowed as he concentrated on the call.

"Are you ok? How'd you get out?"

Zenigata's words made Lupin laugh to himself. Jigen had not even mentioned Lupin's well being or how he had faired being pursued by the cops. It wasn't in his nature to worry about Lupin getting caught anymore. His husband's concern was sweet if unnecessary.

"Aw, they never even caught me. Amateurs." He boasted. He sighed and added "The Fiat is another story. Gotta get it out of Police Impound. Ah well..."

Zenigata looked up at his companions.

"Is he always this carefree when things are this bad?" He asked them with a deadpan air. Neither Jigen nor Goemon could hear what Lupin had said but the looks in their faces spoke volumes in the affirmative. A long suffering sigh escaped Zenigata and he swiped a big hand down his face.

"Ok. Alright." He says trying not to sound too frustrated. "Why's it gonna take so long? Is it the Fiat? Cause if so we can just take the train."

"Oh no, not that." Lupin explained "Ya see, I found a guy who'll buy the Memories of Autumn Leaves. But he's only willing to pay up if we give him the full set. Do you still have the Apollo, Pops?"

"Yeah. I've got it right-" Zenigata stopped in his response and looked at the two children and the woman. He spoke a bit lower this time. "Don't worry. It's safe."

A look passed between Tsubaki and Minoru at that moment. It was the type of look between siblings that held a whole conversation.

"I knew I could count on you." Zenigata could hear the smile in Lupin's voice. He quickly got down to business. "Listen. Things are way too hot to try and go back for the Artemis straight away. I don't know if you heard anything but it's all over the news here in Tokyo. The whole gem show is at a standstill right now. The powers that be insist they are going to finish the tour but it won't be until the cops have had their fill investigating every inch of the place top to bottom. Nope. There's only one thing for it..."

"And what is that?" Zenigata asked his husband. This conversation was a bit exhausting.

"We meet them in Osaka." Lupin replied smartly.

"Osaka!! Why the-" Zenigata stopped himself before swearing again. He turned his back to the group. "Why Osaka? Why do we have to meet them there?"

Jigen and Goemon were silent but expectant at that. They both quietly ate (Tsubaki had at once scurried across the room to bring Goemon another onigirazu when he had finished his first) and tried their best to not break in to ask for clarification. Lupin chuckled lightly and continued.

"Because if the mucky-mucks running the thing stick to their schedule like they keep cheerily telling the press, The Osaka show happens..." Here Zenigata could hear the rustle of papers "...the first weekend in April. They'll cancel and postpone smaller stops on the tour but not Osaka. It's the last stop in the Japanese leg of the tour, a big send off. After Osaka, it leaves the country for China and then Russia. It's the only place we know they won't back out but that means we only get one more chance before we lose out completely."

Zenigata was at a loss for words for a moment.

"So we have to wait here for them to move the entire show? Lupin! That's too long! I cant-" He was going to say he couldn't go that long without Lupin but it sounded childish even in his head. "What do you expect us to do here for a whole month?"

"Nothing." Lupin practically chirped the word. "I'm going to do all the heavy lifting and all you have to do keep your head down and guard the Apollo." The thief hummed a contented sound as he continued "Hida, what a spot to lay low. It's halfway between here and Osaka and no one would ever come looking for you there. It's perfect, really. With you keeping the Apollo safe, by the time we get to Osaka they'll never think we're coming back! In the meantime, I'm going to get the Fiat back, smooth things over with the buyer and see if I can get him to wait on the deal for a few weeks. When we get back together, I'll have everything ready for Osaka."

A lump caught in Zenigata's throat. He started to speak but paused. He stood and stepped out onto the porch. "I can't be away from you that long. I- I just can't."

Lupin's voice came out of the phone, absent of the earlier casual air.

"Pops..." His voice lilted downward, softly concerned. "What's this all of a sudden?"

Zenigata looked around him furtively. He stood and quickly made his way out to the courtyard under the curious stares of the others. "Lupin. We did all this so we could be together. We haven't been apart since I..... Well, you know."

"Hey, don't let a few little mix-ups get you down. If there's one thing I know it's that Zenigata always gets back up when he's knocked down. That's always been how you do it! Was it Jigen? Is he still on your case?" Lupin rode the line between supportive and flippant. It was an effort to convince Zenigata that it was no big deal. Lupin hesitated before he spoke again. It was a pause just long enough to let slip that he didn't know if he should say it. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No. No." Zenigata said immediately. "I mean of course he's giving me a hard time but-" There was a hesitation. These things were hard to say. "I messed up. I wasn't ready." The whole thing was hard to admit.

"But you will be." Lupin asserted quickly. There was a yearning in the words like Lupin wanted the failure to be gone and replaced by success that very minute. "By the time we meet in Osaka, I know you'll know what to do."

Zenigata shook his head even though he knew Lupin couldn't see him.

"Not without you. I dont-" More hesitation. This was all the things he had never told Lupin he was scared of. Zenigata rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously as he spoke."I don't know who I am without you." He said it softly but with feeling, pausing to let it all sink in before going on in a more stern voice. "Don't you dare get a big head over that. I woulda felt the same if I hadn't fallen for ya." He smiled a bit. He didn't want to upset his husband but this all needed to be said. "You and me belong together. Always have, always will. Even when it was all business between us, I was lost when I finally got you in jail or when I thought you died. Thinking about that a lot now that I'm here actually. Even when I thought you were dead you were my whole world." He looked down at the clothes Lupin had picked for him as foreign and out of place on his body as Zenigata felt standing in that courtyard in that moment. "I ain't whole without you, Lupin. It's always been true. Just didn't realize it till now."

"Pops..." Lupin began but lingered with the word just out of his mouth. Lupin The Third was not the type to be at a loss for words but all the same, his husband's sentiments struck him dumb. He could plainly tell Zenigata's feelings were earnest and deep and it made Lupin want to go to him. The thief regrouped and tried again. He didn't fare much better. "Maybe...look, I promise you that this is all going to turn out in the end. You just have to follow me on this."

"How can I follow you if you aren't here?" Zenigata exclaimed throwing the arm that wasn't holding the phone in the air. "How do I find out my place in this new life if I'm not with you? I can't. I can't do this alone."

"Inspector!" Lupin barked down the line in the no-nonsense voice of a drill sargent. The title and tone caught Zenigata off guard and he actually did jump to attention, with a straight back and stiff legs. He almost snapped a salute before he caught himself. Lupin sounded very much like the commissioners and heads of ICPO who had dressed him down in the past. "A man of your caliber doubting himself for even a minute? I won't have it! You'd never throw in the towel, especially after facing failure! It's not in your DNA! Now, are you going to rest on your laurels or are you going to show everyone wrong?!"

Lupin's words had the same effect as a bucket of cold water being dumped on Zenigata. He blinked in surprise for a moment before trying to talk.

"Lupin! But-but-but-" He wasn't sure what he wanted to say but he felt he should respond.

"I don't hear an answer!" Lupin singsonged. Part of him wanted to tell Zenigata everything; each and every facet of his plan in hopes of making the former Inspector understand what he had to do but Lupin knew Zenigata had to make his own decisions if he was to ever get out of this funk. Zenigata needed a push and pushing the man had been Lupin's bread and butter for years.

"I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna prove them wrong!" Zenigata said emphatically. "I'm gonna show that jerk Jigen that I can be a great thief!"

He didn't know where this bluster and bravado was coming from but it felt good. He felt like his old self for a moment.

"That's the spirit!" Lupin cheered. His laugh jingled down the telephone line. He was happy to hear that borderline manic enthusiasm in his husband. He hadn't heard it for a long time and it was good to know the older man still had it in him. Zenigata laughed and smiled to himself. Leave it to lupin to remind him who he was.

"I'm gonna miss you." He said because it was the most honest thing he'd ever said. Lupin wanted to brush it off. Playfully scoff and ensure Zenigata that it wasn't that long and he should be glad to get a break from the thief but he was powerless to stop his heart from taking the reins.

"I'm going to miss you too." He replied softly. "...love you."

After a deep breath to steady himself, Zenigata said "Love you too. See you in a month." Then he hung up the phone. The former inspector leaned against a corner of the house and he smiled in a soft dreamy way. His husband knew how to play him like a fiddle and he loved every moment. He took one more moment before the fall out he knew was coming.

The door opened and Zenigata stepped back into the room. He knelt and looked humbly at Murasaki.

"So sorry to impose but we're going to have to stay a bit longer than we planned. A month actually."

"Jigen told us as much." Goemon explained. He was seated now, cross-legged. Tsubaki was beside him. He had another onigirazu in his hand. He seemed much calmer now despite the news. Whether that was because of the food or an attempt to not startle the little girl hovering at his side, Zenigata didn't know. Jigen was still standing. He hadn't moved from his earlier spot.

"And like I told them, It's no trouble at all. We have plenty of room. You can stay as long as you like." Murasaki said. She waved her hands to tell Zenigata that the formal way he was approaching this wasn't necessary.

"Thank you so much. I promise you we'll pull our own weight around here and we won't be an ounce of trouble." Zenigata bowed low on the mat ignoring Murasaki's insistence on informality. Minoru walked over and looked at the man before sitting beside him and poking at the man's tattoo.

"Fishy!"

"Minoru!" His mother scolded but there was a laugh in her voice that she could not seem to fully suppress. She pulled the boy into her lap. Zenigata sat up and smiled. He was taken aback but at the same time charmed by the child's sweet forwardness. He decided to humor him.

"That's right. It's my magic fish." He tilted his shoulder so the little boy could see the tattoo from his seat in his mother's lap. "If you look really close he'll swim for you."

The little boy leaned forward in his mother's lap, totally entranced. Once Zenigata was sure he had the boy's full attention he flexed the muscles in his arms that made the tail of the fish look like it was swimming upwards.

"Magic fishy!!" Minoru exclaimed. His sister scoffed.

"It's not magic. He's wriggling his arm."

This didn't deter Minoru's enjoyment in the least. 

"Magic dancing fish! Magic dancing fish!" He sing singed to himself as he clapped his hands. Murasaki and Zenigata laughed.

  
That first hour in the Suminawa house set the precedent for the following week. The men were under house arrest more or less and only partly because they did not want to be noticed by the wrong people. The other half of it had to do with Hida's dismal size. It was a country town through and through; a place that encouraged a slow lifestyle. That Goemon understood but it rubbed Jigen the wrong way. Jigen always hated staying in the country for any stretch longer than a weekend. He liked nature, sure, and to relax in peace and quiet but that was when it was on his terms. This was more akin to being stranded. The thought of living anywhere with one stoplight was completely lost upon him. He didn't get it and had no desire to.

There was not a bar or anything with which Jigen could pass his time away from Zenigata, whose mere presence was frustrating to the gunman, and his usual vices were not encouraged inside around children and pregnant ladies. More often than not, he was stuck circling the grounds like a sullen predatory animal in a too-small zoo cage, lighting cigarette after cigarette then retiring to his room when the chill air became too much to nap before waking and starting the process all over again. This routine, of course, exacerbated his supplies.

Things only got worse when, around nine o'clock on their second evening, Jigen had made the mistake of announcing he was going out for a cigarette run and not waiting for a response before heading down the road into town. He had done it for nothing else than an excuse to get away from the stupid safe house. To his dismay, he found not a single shop was open and stomped back up the path, grumbling about the stupid town that time forgot where they roll up the sidewalks at sundown.

He had been forced to go without smokes until morning, which gave him a terrible headache. This might have been the worst of all.

Goemon was spending his time doing his very best to avoid Murasaki. He made sure to only be in her presence when absolutely necessary and excuse himself as soon as possible. If he was trying to be nonchalant about it, both Jigen and Zenigata thought he was doing a very poor job of it. He was visibly uncomfortable around her and his manner was that of the guilty party waiting for their cover to be blown. This was perhaps why he doubled down on devoting himself to his training, meditating for long stretches or silently practicing slow meticulous kata. He exuded an air of dour seriousness.

Overall they tried to keep to themselves. They spoke to each other but to everyone else in the household, they deemed it better to not bother with them unless absolutely necessary. This extended to Zenigata.

With Goemon and Jigen unwilling to grant Zenigata access into their inner circle as it were, the former Inspector found surprising companionship in Murasaki. He was at first more stiff and polite with her, feeling like he should not overstep his boundaries as a guest but Murasaki's bright and welcoming personality would not allow such chilly formality. The woman was bold and dynamic but also a very sweet and doting mother. She was a spitfire, there was no mistake in it and Zenigata became comfortable with her very easily.

They would spend afternoons chatting about their lives before Lupin and his gang (There was not too much to tell for either of them between Murasaki's youth and Zenigata's obsession) as well as their families, interests and all things in between. Murasaki asked for all the details of how Zenigata and Lupin had come to be married and ate it up with a surprising enthusiasm that was more like that of a schoolgirl than a grown and married woman. It was nice to have someone wholeheartedly support his marriage as of late.

Murasaki explained her short engagement to Goemon, which shed a good deal of light on the samurai's current unusual behavior, but she seemed to take it in stride. She was very happy with how things had worked out for her. Goemon and her would have never lasted, she assured Zenigata and slyly added that she was too wild for the samurai. The thought of this pregnant housewife being too much for Goemon, a warrior whom Zenigata had seen move heaven and earth with his sword, made him laugh out loud.

The children for their part were intrigued by their new house guests. Minoru unabashedly latched onto Zenigata with the thoughtless acceptance of children everywhere, especially small ones. Tsubaki had been slower to warm up, which spoke to her obvious analytical nature but the wall of suspicion she hid behind was thin and very brittle and she very quickly was drawn to Zenigata.

Tsubaki was a very smart child for her age and obviously very gifted with her hands. She made all kinds of contraptions from household objects which littered her room, including booby traps that never failed to get their target. Murasaki joked that there wasn't a junk drawer in all of Japan that was safe from her. Tsubaki showed Zenigata the various oddities, explaining each one in turn to him. Many of them were overly complicated solutions to mundane children's problems (she was incredibly proud of a rope she could pull by her bed which made her bookshelf lean forward and launch the closest picture book onto the sheets for easy late night reading) and some would make Rube Goldberg proud. She also had an arsenal of rubber band guns made from bamboo shoots from the garden. Zenigata was very impressed.

Despite the efforts of Jigen and Goemon to keep others at arm's length, it only seemed to encourage the children. While Tsubaki spoke freely with Zenigata, Goemon was more of a mystery to her. She followed him at a distance and observed him the way a researcher might watch an animal in its natural habitat. Goemon would allow this if only because he would rather deal with the little girl rather than her mother. He would even on occasion, crack an eye open in her direction and send her scurrying away down the hall. He had to admit her persistence amused him. Soon, Tsubaki had plucked up enough courage (aided by her mother) to where she was showing up at lunchtime with a tray of food for Goemon who would silently stop what technique he was practicing and sit and eat her cooking without comment. That seemed to please Tsubaki immensely.

If Tsubaki had designated Goemon as her particular playmate then Minoru chose Jigen. That fact made himself clear when upon their third night in Hida, after another quiet meal in the common room Jigen stood to step outside for a smoke. He had put a cigarette between his lips and was patting himself down, looking for his lighter when Minoru stood and toddled over to the man. He looked up at Jigen, arms outstretched and chubby hands flexing on open air. He had done this once or twice before to Jigen when he had crossed paths with the boy and his sister playing. Tsubaki had always pulled Minoru away.

"What does he want?" Jigen asked Murasaki dispassionately. Jigen tilted his hat back so the child could see his face. Murasaki laughed brightly.

"Oh, he wants you to pick him up!" She explained. Clearly, she thought it was precious. "He must think you look like his father. He has a beard too."

Goemon choked on his tea. Jigen just felt completely unprepared for that answer, so much so he stuffed his hat down over his eyes. Zenigata had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Murasaki scooped the boy up but he twisted in her grasp and began to blubber and continued reaching for Jigen. She tried to shush him but when Minoru did not respond and just cried louder, Jigen huffed a sigh through his nose and squared his shoulders.

"Just give 'im to me." He spat.

"I'm sorry," She said but handed Minoru over to the gunman, whom Jigen held at a literal arm's length. Minoru began to quiet down almost immediately but still wiggled a bit in the uncoordinated hold Jigen had on him. Murasaki smiled at this. She was sweetly amused by both the boy and the man, who had no clue how to hold a child. "Would you look at that. Sometimes we just want who we want, I guess."

"Yeah, well..." Jigen replied but left it at that as if that was all there was to say. He sucked on the cigarette for a bit of flavor, now knowing his smoke would be put on hold for the time being. With a little gentle coaching from Murasaki, Jigen was soon holding the boy with less ginger tactics and before he could protest much further, the boy had fallen asleep, clinging to Jigen. Jigen, at last, noticed the rest of the room watching him and he all but bristled with embarrassment.

"What're you-?!" Jigen began in to snap but lowered his voice when Minoru started to stir "What're you staring at? Stop being weird."

Zenigata and Goemon both became very interested in their plates. Jigen scoffed but said nothing else, apparently satisfied with their reactions.

Against Jigen's will, it became a nightly ritual after that. Dinner would happen, Jigen would stand, under the pretense of his evening cigarette and Minoru would stagger over to the man. Jigen would bend over, pick him up and pace the room until the boy was soothed to sleep. He argued that no one would get any peace if the kid was carrying on and if he wanted to smoke unmolested it was a job that had to be done. No one disagreed with him. Also, no one mentioned that Jigen had stopped bringing his cigarettes with him to dinner.

Zenigata had trouble sleeping. In the daytime hours, he could occupy himself but when he laid down to rest, his longing for his husband and the creeping self-doubt set in. He was still carrying the Apollo around on him at all times like a like talisman of his guilt and he would hold the blue diamond out and watch it glitter in the moonlight from his window. It made his heartache to see it without its match, as he was. The Memory of Autumn Leaves. Thinking back to his flower language, Zenigata remembered that maple leaves were representative of lovers. It was fitting in its way. Separated autumn leaves for a pair of separated lovers. It would be poignant if it wasn't so damn pathetic, the former Inspector decided. He had thought so every night that week, in fact. But tonight something was different. It was the thought of his secret language with Lupin that had started the particular train of thought that occupied Zenigata's mind. Autumn maple leaves signified lovers, yes. But they were a curious plant that held several meanings. One of the others, Zenigata remembered was determination. That lit a fire in the man's heart. He remembered Lupin's words from their first night in Hida. He wouldn't throw in the towel. Zenigata would have to make good on his promise to become a better thief. And he would have to start tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

He stood outside the door. He'd been standing there for a while now. Eventually, Zenigata knew, he'd either have to knock or leave. Slowly, he made a fist with his hand and raised it to knock on the frame but paused and put his hand down with a frustrated sigh. This was nerve wracking but it was what he needed to do. Zenigata raised his fist once more and tapped lightly on the door. When there wasn't an immediate response he turned to walk away with a mild sense of relief.

"Who is there?" Came the soft even voice on the other side of the door. Zenigata heard no movement from inside the room but he had a feeling that that counted for little with the room's occupant. Zenigata gritted his teeth and silently railed against himself for not moving away from the door faster.

The silent hissy fit lasted another moment before he sighed and said: "It's me. I gotta favor to ask. Can I come in?"

There was another pause and then the paper door slid open. Goemon stood there, watching Zenigata as if he were appraising him as a possible threat. When he was apparently satisfied, Goemon stepped aside with another silent movement and bowed his head just so as a polite sign to enter. It took Zenigata a moment to muster up the courage to move forward but eventually, he did. He turned when he was inside and had to admit there was something transformative about seeing Goemon in this environment. For once he fit in the space. It only proved to Zenigata that he was making the right choice.

"I need your help. I gotta become a better thief."

Goemon's eyebrows first perked up then knit down together. How Zenigata had cut to the chase like that had surprised the samurai. The former Inspector coming to him at all had been a surprise in fact. Goemon shut the door and crossed back to the far side of the room.

"That is certainly clear." He noted. It wasn't meant to be an insult. At least Zenigata didn't think so with the calm matter of fact way Goemon said it. "Your skills are lacking."

The room had a bench built into the wall as one approached the window facing the courtyard. Goemon sat on its edge, one foot tucked under him and the other still planted on the floor. He looked out at the half-dead and overgrown garden.

If Zenigata hadn't known Goemon, he would have been offended by those words but he had known each thief long before he defected. The samurai was a blunt man who spoke his truth easily. For most that personality trait could be a hard pill to swallow but Zenigata found it refreshing in this day and age. Honestly, both men seemed to belong to different eras and there was comradery in that.

"Exactly. That's why I need you to train with me." Zenigata answered.

"My thoughts are occupied with my own training as of late." Goemon replied, not looking away. There were nerves under the stoicism. Goemon pushed them away and pinned Zenigata down with his dark eyes. "And isn't this something your husband should have seen to?"

There was a little hostility there now. Perhaps not a dig at Zenigata but at Lupin who had landed them in Hida and then abandoned them.

"I know. Trust me, if Lupin was here I wouldn't be bothering you." Zenigata said honestly. It wasn't said with any animosity. The words were just truth and Zenigata knew if he was going to reach Goemon he'd have to be truthful. "I want Lupin to teach me but I know he wants me to find my place in the gang myself. I've only got a month. It's not a long time to be ready for Osaka. I can't wait around for Lupin."

Goemon weighed those words for a short time.

"I cannot teach you." He said at last.

"What?!?" Zenigata yowled. He was thunderstruck. Appeals like that always worked in the old samurai movies. The former inspector supposed he shouldn't put as much faith into those old films. "Wh-why not??"

"Your intentions are noble but I lack the required nuance to teach you such things. It would be unfair to you." He said plainly. He considered suggesting Zenigata go to Jigen, who had a more similar skill set to Lupin but knew that was not a good idea. He was himself rather chaffed with Zenigata but not nearly to the point that Jigen was. The gunman had resolutely ignored Zenigata ever since they arrived and was liable to blow if provoked. He was sure Zenigata also knew this. Goemon added as a disclaimer: "It's nothing personal."

"Listen, you don't have to start from square one with me. I learned taiho jitsu at the academy." Zenigata reasoned. "I'm strong too so ya ain't gonna hurt me. I just need a sparring partner to dust off my skill."

There was another calm moment of reflection. Goemon looked at Zenigata; really LOOKED at him this time. It was like he was trying to find an invisible quality that backed up Zenigata's claim.

"And you believe this will improve you in the ways of thievery?" He asked cautiously.

"It'll give me a purpose to start. Might not make me a great thief but at least I'll be doing something." Zenigata said throwing his hands up in a mildly exacerbated way. "At first I thought I'd have some kind of secret policemen's knowledge I could give you guys to help out but you all seem to know the ins and outs so well you could take the test tomorrow and pass with flying colors. We tried wheelman and ya heard how that turned out. Seems I'm better at following in a chase than I am at leading it." he sighed and looked out the window. "But I know I'm strong and I know I can flip a guy so fast he won't know what hit 'em. A martial art made by the police might not be as effective against them. If I can fine tune it, change it into something just different enough to throw them off their rhythm, I just might be able to be of some help around here. I can't do it alone though." He left the end of the sentence feeling open. An invitation without truely asking or begging. An honorable request.

Goemon stood and continued to scrutinize Zenigata. It was a deep thoughtful air which the samurai exuded and without words, it was clear he was not taking this decision lightly.

"I will not be your teacher. I will not be responsible for your failures should this prove to be a fruitless endeavor." He told Zenigata. It was not a refusal this time. Zenigata looked back at the samurai. His eyebrows up high in surprise.

"Yeah! Yeah! That's fine!"

"As you are in great need and this could prove as a welcome distraction to my current challenges, I agree to be your sparring partner." Goemon continued. Zenigata had never seen Goemon smile but he hoped the tightening around his mouth was an equivalent.

"Thank you." Zenigata said immediately. He smiled brightly and gave a deep respectful bow. "When can we start?"

Goemon held up his hand.

"If we are to train together, know I will not take pity on you. You have said you have some experience and I will hold you to that. I will hear no complaints. You asked for my expertise and it is what you will get. Do you understand?" He warned.

"I understand. I wouldn't expect anything less of you." Zenigata answered his chest puffing up a bit with the pride he was finally feeling. "I may be an old man but I've been knocked around quite a bit in the past. I can handle it."

"Very good." Goemon agreed. He stepped away from Zenigata and approached the door which he slid open. "You will run to the temple in town and pray. You must first purify your mind if you are to purify your body. When you return I will be waiting in the courtyard to begin our training in earnest. If you do not return within the hour, consider our agreement dissolved."

This was not what Zenigata had in mind when he had decided to ask Goemon to spar with him but he supposed if he had gotten this far there was no turning back now. He'd have to change obviously. Lupin would kill him if he went running in his suit. That would mean running in the odd get-up that lupin had chosen for him. He groaned before quickly running out the door and to his own room.

  
When Zenigata went to Goemon he had been hoping for a mentor but a sparring partner would do. What he got, in the end, was a taskmaster pretending to be a sparring partner.

Murasaki gave Zenigata some of her husband's spare clothes to train in. There was an old tracksuit that had been her husband's at one time and Zenigata was happy for it since his routine now involved a long run through town. It was purple with a bright yellow streak down the arms and legs and was a fashion faux pas even Zenigata could see. The outfit Lupin had packed for him wasn't very conducive to running though so he resigned himself to the purple get up. There were also a few sets of sweat pants and old undershirts for sparing.

They were all a little big on Zenigata but would do. Goemon had remarked on how ill-fitting they were and when Zenigata explained where they came from, Goemon clammed up and made a face that was, to say the least, was not very dignified.

After running it was time for meditation. At least, the former inspector had some practice at this. Being a monk for even the short time had gotten him pretty good at that. The pair would sit side by side on the porch feeling the alternating warmth and cold of the spring sunlight as it peeked in and out of clouds. It was a rather welcome calm and Goemon, who had been meditating exclusively in his room (as to not to risk Murasaki coming upon him) took quiet enjoyment in meditating in nature again. That joy was short lived, however.

One afternoon, Zenigata's session was interrupted by a mild sound of surprise following by a little gulp. Knowing he mustn't but recognizing the voice as Goemon's, Zenigata cracked an eye open to see what had made the samurai sound off. Minoru, who had strayed from the watchful eye of his sister, made his way around the corner and, finding the two men so peacefully sat out on the wooden floor ringing the courtyard, decided he would join them. The place he had chosen was Goemon's lap.

The samurai was staring down at the boy, who was heedless of Goemon's discomfort, hands hovering above him. Goemon hesitated. He clearly did not know what to do. Minoru was settling his weight into Goemon and judging by the soft glaze of his eyes he was ready for his afternoon nap.

Goemon looked to Zenigata. The former inspector quickly shut his eyes but couldn't help the small smile on his lips. A few seconds later he peeked again. This time Goemon had refolded his hands in his lap. To do this he had had to place them around Minoru, who was now fast asleep. The furrowed brow and pursed mouth Goemon sported as he tried to return to his meditation was perhaps the most determined Zenigata had ever seen Goemon.

The sparing was where things became hard. The first few days Zenigata seemed evenly matched with Goemon. The third day the samurai showed what he could really do. Turns out Goemon had just been feeling the older man out. Now that he had a handle on his movies he easily tossed Zenigata around the makeshift ring in the back yard like a rag doll.

There were quite a few times Zenigata found himself face down in the dirt after a failed attack, Goemon standing over him silently each time. Though he was sore and tired and his dignity was bruised Zenigata found himself getting up each time. He was always ready to take another beating if it meant he might be getting a bit better.

He'd come in sweaty and exhausted with his clothing streaked in dirt and grass stains. Zenigata couldn't remember when he had woken up so sore as he did each morning but he would pull himself up out of bed with a groan and resign himself to his task.

Soon, the rest of the household had become privy to Zenigata and Goemon's daily matches. Jigen had made it his lunchtime ritual to sit and watch them, smiling thinly around his cigarettes each time Zenigata was hurled to the ground. He did not out and out laugh at the man but took enjoyment from seeing Zenigata get his comeuppance. The few times Zenigata had bristled at his presence, Jigen responded with the cool rationale that he could sit where ever he pleased and it just happened to be overlooking the courtyard. Zenigata did his best to ignore him.

Murasaki would often send Tsubaki out with lunch for the three and she would hang around after, with Minoru in tow, and cheer with loud raucousness. That her cheers were often very vocally directed at Goemon's victory was all the better to Jigen. After five days of this, the sight of the little girl carrying out a tray laden with bowls of fish and rice coaxed a near pavlovian response in Zenigata. He was very grateful for the opportunity to catch his breath and recharge.

He reached out for his bowl but Goemon stood in his path. His stare was stern.

"Your footwork has been terrible today. You're disregarding your center of gravity. Practice your forms. Ten sets. Then you may eat." He instructed. His tone left no room for argument. Goemon sat at the edge of the veranda and watched Zenigata practice, his bowl in hand.

"He's making an ass of himself." Jigen noted behind him. He dug into his food as if the comment had been about the weather. Goemon did not turn his eyes from the man vigorously training.

"His perseverance is impressive." He replied.

"Ya think so?" Jigen scoffed. Goemon turned at the waist to regard the gunman.

"It takes a very strong man to go to his enemies for help. I believe he is worthy of it." He explained. With that, Goemon turned his attention to his food. The conversation was over as far as he was concerned.

"Whatever you say..." Jigen added skeptically. He stopped observing the sparing matches after that.

Most nights Zenigata lay on his futon and tried to not focus on how sore he was. It never worked. Eventually, he'd pull out Apollo and look at it. Missing Lupin so much his heart ached more than his muscles. Finally, exhaustion would take him and he'd fall asleep.

  
It was ten days into their training and a full two weeks living at the Suminawa home that something new happened. Zenigata brought Goemon down. It had been a swift lunge that had somehow gotten past Goemon's defenses and before he could change his footing and reverse the hold, the samurai saw his world go briefly upside down as he sailed over Zenigata's shoulder and come down hard onto the patchy grass. Zenigata stood there for a moment. He didn't truly believe he had done it but he had. Carefully changing techniques and working on his form has worked. Turning, Zenigata looked at Goemon.

"You... You ok?" He asked gently. Goemon did not at first move to stand. He looked back up at Zenigata with an expression that was a difficult to read mishmash of qualities. It was as if Goemon was both confused and amused by what had just happened. He was also trying to pull the air that had been knocked out of him back into his lungs with some quiet dignity.

"I'm fine." He allowed at last. He rose to his feet as smoothly as he could and straightened his robes. "And you?"

It was clearly not a question after Zenigata's physical well being. He paired it with the barest of knowing smiles. For the first time in days, Zenigata smiled.

"Great. I feel great." He said with a quiet laugh. "I feel like this could actually work." He looked down a little bashful. Goemon did not offer an opinion on that. He stepped across to the veranda and took a seat at its edge. Tsubaki had been called away by Murasaki for something or other but she had left behind a tray with a pitcher of water and a few rice crackers (most of which Tsubaki had already eaten). Goemon poured a glass and offered it to Zenigata.

"I believe that has earned us a short break, if you wish." He informed him.

"Please!" Zenigata said emphatically. He sagged in relief as he took the water and took a deep drink. "Ah! That's the stuff!" He said after nearly draining the glass. He sat on the edge of the porch bedside Goemon. He sighed and carefully placed the glass to the side before pulling off the track jacket. Underneath he had the long tank top on. The sun shining down felt nice on his skin.

"Your skills have improved by leaps and bounds. Some might call that maneuver luck but I can see better." Goemon said. As was his way, he wasn't overly complimentary but the intention shone through the pragmatic statement. He drank the cold water gratefully. Zenigata smiled.

"I know. I've still got a long way to go but at least one victory in..." He looked around them and sighed heavily. His face grew a bit maudlin as he thought over the past weeks. "Feels like I'm finally moving forward in this mess I made. Like I'm not hopeless." he shot the samurai a small sad smile. The look seemed to be an unspoken apology for what he had put them through.

The air between the men had been without malice almost from the moment Zenigata had made it back from his crosstown run within the hour Goemon had set for him. Still, all the same, Goemon had kept any true praise at bay. He felt a gentle touch would do him no good. Zenigata was a tough man and the samurai knew if he was to flourish, Zenigata would have to push himself through his melancholy. Goemon appreciated the progress he saw.

"No one is truly hopeless. Not when they choose to be responsible for their fate. As you have." Goemon assured him. The air was still cold but the sun was bright and sitting in its rays, Goemon didn't feel the chill. He brushed the hair off his neck a moment to let the cold sweat there dry.

"Yeah. I guess not. Just felt that way for a while there but I've definitely gotten stronger. " Zenigata admitted quietly. He turned a bright smile on Goemon and flexed his arms like an old-time strong man in the circus. "I think I put on a little more muscle since we started sparing. Can't wait to show Lupin!"

Goemon watched the man move with a placid but interested eye.

"May I ask you something?" He asked softly. Zenigata paused in his little show and looked at Goemon. There was something there in the samurai's expression.

"Yeah. Sure."

"Why is it you got that tattoo?" He asked. He pointed at the blue koi on Zenigata's arm. There was nothing judgemental in the way Goemon asked it; just genuine curiosity.

"Oh. Oh, that." Zenigata deflated a bit, very clearly embarrassed. "Well, it's kind of a long story. I mean we should probably get back to work." He tried to laugh the question off and hoped Goemon would buy it.

"We can rest a little longer." Was Goemon's unfaltering reply. He did not ask again or push further. If Zenigata refused, he would leave it at that. There was a bit of fidgeting on Zenigata's part as he thought about what to say to Goemon if he was actually going to say anything at all.

"It's Lupin." He said finally. Immediately after he shook his head and corrected himself. "I mean it isn't actually Lupin of course, but it's him in spirit." The former inspector sighed and thought of that day. "He wanted to help me figure out what it took to be a real criminal. When he asked me what kind of criminal I could relate to I told him the yakuza. Then we went out drinking and it must have been in my head and the next thing ya know...."

He gestured sheepishly to his tattooed arm. Goemon's expression did change then. There was a downturn to the mouth and a hardening in the eyes. It was at once both angered and oddly sad.

"You wish to emulate the yakuza?" He asked in a way that said he really was confused by such an answer.

"Well... Um..." Zenigata felt a bit like a child caught smoking by a parent. He hadn't been made to feel this young in some time. "I mean at least they have a code. They may be criminals but they help their communities and they're loyal." he reasoned. He's never really worked on too many cases concerning the yakuza so all Zenigata could really go off of was movies and stories he had heard. That was information he wasn't planning on sharing with the samurai though. As seemed to be his custom, Goemon gathered his thoughts before he spoke.

"I worked for the yakuza once. Did you know that?" He said. Goemon turned more to face Zenigata. He crossed his ankles and made himself more comfortable in preparation for the conversation he saw on the horizon.

In his years as an investigator, Zenigata had learned everything he could about Lupin. His favorite haunts, patterns of thefts, right down to his favorite food and cologne. The thief's comrades, however, were a bit of a mystery. Realistically he probably knew more than the average cop but there were large holes that information had fallen through over the years and anything from before their affiliation with Lupin was a nebulous void.

"No. I didn't know that." he answered after a moment.

"This was when my friendship with Lupin was still young. I was a bodyguard for Makio Inaniwa. He was the head of a very distinguished yakuza clan. I wore his crest and took his orders. He flaunted me like an expensive bauble." Goemon said it like the words tasted bad in his mouth. "His men were not so impressed. They looked upon me with jealousy and resentment because my skill was greater. Each of them was vain and worried only for themselves. I did not seek to heighten myself in their ranks and so I was a just novelty to them."

Zenigata considered this with mild confusion. "I was told the yakuza had an honor code."

Goemon lowered his head and chuckled mirthlessly.

"From my experience, that is almost entirely a myth. Yakuza place strength and power above all else. They kill indiscriminately. I have killed many but I have never taken pleasure in it. Their spirits weigh on my mind." Goemon explained. His eyes had closed and he seemed to be far away. Or perhaps long ago. Zenigata watched Goemon's hand go tight around the cup he held. Goemon took a deep breath and when he let it out, the darkness seemed to have passed and the calm returned to take its place. Goemon studied Zenigata. "A member of Inaniwa's clan once told me he believed the age of the samurai was long past. I believe rather it is the age of the yakuza, the heartless and hard men, that is past. It is integrity that separates us from wild animals. I have fought men and I have fought beasts, and I tell you, yakuza are not men."

Goemon tucked his hair over his left ear and Zenigata saw that it had been clipped high up along its edge and a small chunk was missing. It was an old scar, years healed and its jagged shape denoted the graze of a bullet. It was a move just natural enough to be interpreted as unintentional but it was hard to tell if Goemon was once again speaking without words.

"Then what do I do?" Zenigata visibly deflated. He looked out into the blueness of the sky as it began to pinken along the edge with the sun's descent. The golden light gave everything a softer feel like the world was in simpler times. The samurai could have belonged here. It was the first time the man didn't seem out of place. It made Zenigata feel his displacement even more. Where would he fit into all of this? "Who do I try to be? Where do I go for direction? I've always been my own man but I don't know how to be this version of me."

Goemon was somewhat surprised that Zenigata wanted advice from him. Not many of Goemon's allies did, despite Goemon's willingness to give it. His friends often brushed his words of wisdom aside but Goemon didn't take it too personally. They were Japanese but were citizens of the western world more than anything. They were more interested in the practical rather than introspective when it came to advice but from what little he knew of Zenigata, the man was more traditional. He could, Goemon carefully considered, find a bit of a kindred spirit in Zenigata. That thought gave him pause but was not unwelcome.

"I suspected your tattoo had something to do with an idealized view of yakuza. They are sometimes the only legitimate criminal in the eyes of the police. It's no surprise you felt you had to double down on your turn from the law." The turn of phrase sounded odd coming from the samurai's mouth but it was very apt considering the circumstances. "Although I don't believe you must become someone else if you are to be a thief, Inspector."

Looking back towards the sunset Zenigata paused to think. His elbows resting on their knees, his hands held the glass in front of him in a gentle grip.

"Inspector. That's what people always called me. 'Inspector, thank you for coming.' 'Inspector, we have a calling card we need you to authenticate.' 'Lupin has been spotted in the area, Inspector.'" He sighed and shook his head. He hadn't felt this world-weary in some time. Not since right before he and Lupin first admitted their feelings for each other actually but it settled on him now like an old quilt; heavy and enveloping. "Now they'll call me thief. Criminal. Villain. How do you learn to be those things?"

"I am not those things." Goemon replied. He said it as if he was leading by example in the simplest lesson. Zenigata turned his head to look at Goemon.

"What do you mean?"

Goemon put his glass back on the tray and stood. He slowly walked the length of the veranda, hands clasped loosely in front of him.

"I decide for myself what is just and right. What anyone else calls me does not change that. Theif is only a title. Like samurai." Goemon took a thoughtful pause. He turned to look at Zenigata. "Or Inspector."

Somewhere an owl was hooting low as it began to stir still too early for its hunt to begin. A breeze, cooler now with the setting sun unable to warm it, passed through the courtyard and tossed Goemon's hair. He turned his face into it, smelling something young and green that was starting to grow in defiance of the mid-March chill. The world was changing.

"I am not beholden to titles, nor should you be. Who you are is who you will always be. That is Dharma, the nature of reality. You must live your dharma. Even if you are poor at it. It is through that suffering that we reach enlightenment." Goemon continued. The lesson was a well-loved one and it was obvious by the serenity with which he recited it.

"Huh." Was all that Zenigata could say. There was a lot there to take in. He didn't have to be what others told him to be. He could choose. This life wasn't giving up one title for another, it was giving up the safe little box he'd been living in for the whole world. He could be anything and as long as he had Lupin he'd have a reason to grow. He smiled softly.

"I can be whoever I want to be, huh? Guess this tattoo was a bit of a waste them." Zenigata flapped his arm and chuckled.

"I wouldn't say that. It IS skillfully done and rather impressive that you withstood the process over such a short period. It speaks of a stout constitution." Goemon noted. Zenigata felt the blush creep across his face. He wasn't use to praise, except from his husband of course, who heaped it on so heavily that it almost seemed excessive. Goemon, on the other hand, was a stoic and praise never came easily from him. Zenigata knew this. It made the praise all the more meaningful.

"T-thank you. As drunk as we were that night I'm lucky we found a good artist." He rubbed the back of his neck, a bit embarrassed. Goemon stepped down from the porch and turned to Zenigata. He folded his arms and studied the koi fish more closely now.

"And it was Lupin who inspired it..." He stroked his chin a bit like an art critic appraising a work in a gallery. He added with thoughtful stoney seriousness: "Yes...I do think I see the resemblance."

Zenigata's brow crinkled in confusion. He looked down at the fish on his shoulder. Yes, it was the same exact blue of Lupin's coat and he had always thought there had been a cheeky daring in the fish's eyes that reminded him a bit of the thief but other than that it was just a fish. The supposed resemblance Goemon talked about was lost on Zenigata. Then it dawned on him. It was a joke. He looked back at the samurai surprised and then a smile spread across his face.

"Yeah. It does look a bit like him doesn't it. He probably designed it that way, the old showboat." He chuckled. Goemon had a thin smile. It almost certainly didn't see much practice but it and the laugh that rumbled low down in Goemon's throat were genuine. Goemon was secretly proud that Zenigata had understood his humor and grateful he responded so subtlety. Jigen would have groaned and Lupin may have laughed too hard in an attempt to encourage the samurai but Zenigata hit a balance that made Goemon feel acknowledged but not embarrassed. He liked that and it did its part to draw Goemon closer to the man.

"It certainly sounds in character for him." Goemon agreed. The sun was warm and the laughter was more refreshing than the water ever could be. Zenigata sighed. The weight lifted. The weight of naming. Of having to choose a path with no idea where it could take you. He could now plot a course to get to his goal. There would be less guessing. Finally, his feet were planted on the ground again.

"Should we go a few more rounds or call it for the night?"

Suddenly, Goemon's eye flicked back to the house and then perhaps a bit too quickly found their way to the ground where they stayed. He stepped away. His relaxed manner was gone.

"There... There is still some daylight left. We mustn't waste it." He reasoned. It was the argument Zenigata had come to expect from Goemon, strict taskmaster he was, but he did not hold the stern stance or tone he usually had. Goemon busied himself with stretching to warm his muscles back up for a new round. The way the samurai hesitated alerted Zenigata. He tilted his head and smiled softly.

"I uh... I know about you and Murasaki ya know."

Goemon stopped dead in his tracks at that. He rigidly stood like a statue a moment with his arm stretched across his opposite shoulder. He broke from the pose and turned away, walking over to the patch of grass they had cleared of brush and dead leaves that served as their training ground.

"I don't know what you mean." He said flatly. He kept his head down so his hair would hide his face. Zenigata sighed.

"Murasaki told me. The engagement. The ninjas. The whole thing. I was just along for the ride, remember?" He didn't want to press the issue but he did feel that Goemon was avoiding something that wasn't really a big deal. Goemon huffed a sigh of his own, shorter and more put upon. He had known denying it was foolish the moment he had done it. Zenigata had indeed been involved in the plot with the Fuma even if it was only at its periphery. He had hoped that the former inspector hadn't realized this was the same Murasaki or that he would have had the good decency, as Jigen had, to not acknowledge it. Goemon gathered his courage and showed Zenigata his face in profile.

"And what of it?" He tried his best to sound unaffected by any and all possible outcomes Zenigata may have had to tell him but there was a defensive streak there that Goemon had been unable to reign in.

"Well, Murasaki is a great woman and she'd be a great friend if you'd let her." Zenigata said. When he had spoken with Murasaki about the relationship he had seen the sadness in her eyes. The way she looked at the photo of Goemon, the one that had once earned him the name "Top Shelf Man" but now lived on a table in the living room, was somber and perhaps a little regretful.

Goemon jolted as if physically struck and turned to Zenigata as if he had something important to say but at the last minute he clamped his jaw and look away. He held his hands in loose fists at his sides.

"It is not as simple as all that." He said.

"It is." Zenigata countered. He hopped off the porch and came to stand in front of Goemon. "She wants to be your friend. She wants to have you in her life even though you chose this life over her." There wasn't any anger in his voice. He spoke to Goemon as a senior officer would talk to a rookie that didn't realize what the job would really entail but didn't want to scare him off.

"That's not true. Our engagement was a contract that I did not honor. I betrayed her family." Goemon said, flat and resigned. He did not want to say it out loud but he could tell Zenigata would want to hear it all. Any other member of the Lupin gang might note the irony of spilling their guts in such a way to this man, but Goemon felt compelled. Perhaps because Zenigata had just entrusted Goemon with his council and it was only right to return the courtesy. Or maybe it was because no one had spoken with Goemon on this subject before. The words craved freedom outside of Goemon's head. He croaked them, more hurt by them than any of the ones before it. "I said I would come back for her. I lied."

Zenigata sighed.

"She doesn't feel that way." He said simply. With just a slight hesitation he placed his hand on Goemon's shoulder. "She told you she wouldn't wait for you. She fell in love. She's got kids she loves in a home she belongs in. The only way you haven't honored her and her family is by choosing not to be in her life even though you're back."

Goemon didn't pull away from Zenigata's touch.

"She doesn't think me a coward?" He asked incredulously. It was a hard concept to process. Goemon certainly thought what he had done was cowardly. The marriage had felt like an obligation to Goemon but to back out on such a proper match to a good family, despite his own personal feelings on the subject, had followed Goemon and every now and then would nibble at his conscience like a termite on the structure of a house. He had never considered that Murasaki didn't harbor resentment for him for it. Zenigata laughed. He didn't mean to but the thought of that kind, funny, good-natured woman thinking anything bad about anyone was frankly laughable.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He said getting his laughter under control. "It's just that if you had been around and opened your eyes you'd see how much respect she has for you." Zenigata smiled at the younger man.

Goemon couldn't help the expression that Zenigata's laughter had pulled from him. He was at once surprised and strangely embarrassed by it. It was unashamedly good-natured and completely unexpected in the seemingly austere situation they were discussing. Never had Goemon thought the all-business, sometimes nearsighted Inspector Zenigata capable of such levity. He didn't know how to respond so he didn't, just looking on at Zenigata with his eyebrows raised. Zenigata sighed.

"Talk to her. You'll be surprised how she feels." He said with a small smile. Goemon digested those words and turned them over in his mind. He almost protested but stopped himself. Goemon had just told Zenigata to follow his own ideals and now it felt hypocritical to deny that that was the exact reason why he had left Hida all those years ago. He has chosen to be his own man on his own path even if it had been at the expense of his pride or apparent duty. Goemon would admit that he was happier for it. It was selfish to think Murasaki couldn't be happy without him. She had never wanted adventure or danger or any of the impermanence that Goemon's life would always be. She had just wanted to be noticed by someone and loved. In the long run, it seemed they were both following their dharma.

Goemon took a step back and bowed deeply to Zenigata.

"If you will excuse me... " He said solemnly. Zenigata chuckled.

"Go on." He gave his own shallow bow and held it before the man walked away.

  
The reconciliation of Murasaki and Goemon, even if Murasaki didn't know there was need for a reconciliation, seemed to bolster Zenigata. The very small smile on the samurai's face spoke volumes. To know that he had played a part in that meant a lot to Zenigata and it seemed like it meant a lot to Goemon as well. There was an amicable nature to their training that hadn't been there before. Yes, Goemon was still a taskmaster but there was more readiness to help Zenigata up after a failed attempt to take Goemon down and tips were offered with a casual air. As casual as Goemon could be anyhow.

Zenigata felt as though Goemon had accepted him as part of the team. It did wonders for his confidence. More confidence meant his performance was better. Jigen, who still stopped by sparing practice from time to time to watch Zenigata get beaten like a drum by Goemon, seemed to leave practice grumbling about how he wasn't allowed any fun. It was clear that if Zenigata wasn't receiving a pummeling, he wasn't interested.

There was still animosity there. As far as Zenigata was concerned he was ready to let bygones be bygones. Jigen did not feel the same way. He wasn't subtle about it either. As soon as Zenigata would enter the room Jigen would find an excuse to leave. That was if he even offered an excuse. The silent treatment was also being used. Jigen would talk in length to Goemon or Murasaki. Even to the children. Zenigata was only offered short, clipped answers.

For now, the former inspector accepted it. He would focus on his training and prove himself in the end. At least he hoped he would. If not it would make for a very hostile work environment.

Mid-morning a few days after Goemon and Zenigata had had their talk, Zenigata jogged back to the house from his daily run and there was Murasaki and the kids busy working in the yard. Tsubaki was diligently hanging baby clothes and swaddling blankets on a clothesline. Most children of her height would have needed a step stool but little Tsubaki was using one of her many inventions. The men had found out early on that the little girl was intent on carrying on the family legacy of inventing and booby trap making. Most were childish Rube Goldberg style machines that were over complicated messes to achieve an uncomplicated task. Some were actually strokes of young genius. Today she was using the latter.

The simplistic design allowed the little girl to lay out each piece of fabric over a metal oval held open with clothespins. This was attached to an old broomstick handle. Tsubaki simply had to place the metal wire over the clothesline and pull down to have the clothespins snap into place. It was really very ingenious. Her brother sat not too far away washing plastic baby toys in a plastic bucket full of soap and water. Minoru was doing a good job for a child his age. Several washed and dried toys were laid out on a towel beside him to dry in the warming spring sunlight and he was only a bit damp from the water. Murasaki was half out of the shed, struggling with something inside. She grunted and blustered but whatever it was it clearly wasn't budging. Zenigata rushed over.

"Be careful with that! You could hurt yourself or the baby!" He admonished as he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Let me help you."

"I think the corner is just caught in the door frame." She said as she stepped to one side. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and moved to take up her struggle again. "I just have to..."

Murasaki strained just a moment then with an undignified grunt gave up the effort. She stood, hands resting on her swelled stomach.

"Nope. It's just heavy and also I'm really really pregnant." She conceded with pragmatic humor. She stood with her hips forward in an attempt to ease the weight of her child and took in a few lungfuls of fresh morning air. Zenigata chuckled then reached into the shed. He knew what she was trying to get out as soon as he saw it. His large hands grabbed the whitewashed wood and with little difficulty, he pulled the disassembled pieces of the crib from the shed.

"We all owe you a very big debt. All you have to do is ask and we'll be here to help." Zenigata said to Murasaki. He spoke on behalf of the rest of the gang and in that moment he felt that he wasn't out of bounds in that.

"That so nice of you. I guess I just never thought to ask. I get by pretty well on my own when my husband is away. I didn't think the little guy would make it any harder." She said humbly. She patted her stomach as she spoke. "Believe me, my husband fussed about going this time anyway. Said we had to get the nursery ready. I told him it was fine. I wasn't even going to do anything until he got back, but it was just so nice out. Perfect day for spring cleaning. It will be a nice surprise for when he gets back."

Murasaki was right about the weather. It had been more winter than spring when they had first arrived at the Suminawa home and while some of the chill had lessened in the height of the day, the rest of the days and evenings had been frigid and Zenigata often woke to frost on what little greenery had begun to sprout. Today, on the other hand, had been wonderful and the sun had risen out into a clear blue sky. His morning run had been a joy. The air had smelled clean and while he did not remove his sweater for fear of showing his tattoo to early rising citizens of Hida, it had been temperate enough to unzip it and push the sleeves up to his forearms. It had been perhaps one of the first actual spring days of the year despite it already being mid-March.

"I'd be happy to help." Zenigata said again. "And I'm sure Jigen and Goemon would too if they had seen you."

"Do you think so?" Murasaki asked. She seemed interested but politely unconvinced. "I don't want to put you out. You are guests here."

"After everything that you've done for us? It's the least we could do." Zenigata answered as he leaned against the pieces of the crib, trying to look nonchalant. It didn't work since the pieces shifted as soon as he put his weight on them. He quickly righted everything and smiled at Murasaki again. "Just say the word and we'll be on it."

Murasaki laughed behind her hand and she was a girl of seventeen again.

"That would be wonderful, Mr. Zenigata. I really appreciate it. I'll be cleaning in the nursery if you want to bring the crib and changing table in. If we can get them all put back together, that will be a load off of my mind. Not to mention my husband." She said sweetly. She crossed that yard and checked on her children before heading to the door. She turned back and waved. "Thanks again!"

And she was gone. Minoru, bored with his work and more interested in what his mother might be up to, toddled in after her. Tsubaki paused in her chore.

"You're gonna be working all alone you know." She said with a cynicism far beyond her years before loading her laundry hanging device with a onesie and resuming her work.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Zenigata asked. He had gotten used to the oddities of the children. Sometimes he even found it endearing but not when Tsubaki used that tone.

"I meeeaan-" the little girl laid the last baby blanket across the wires and loaded the clothespins while she spoke "is that Top Shelf Man and Grumpy Not Dad aren't gonna help you cause you ain't the boss of them." The statement was matter of fact but in the frustrating way of a child who knew they were right. The pose Zenigata took was one he had often used in his "Lupin chasing" days. Legs akimbo, he shook his fist in the air as he let this kid know what was what.

"I'm their elder! They are gonna listen to me!"

"Nuh-uh!" Was Tsubaki's retort as she shouldered her clothes hanging contraption. "Mr. Lupin is the boss of them and he's better than you cause he sends us birthday and Christmas presents. You're just an old man!"

"Why you little -" Zenigata began as he started to move towards Tsubaki. The little girl gave a mirth filled screech before breaking out into giggles and running inside. Zenigata was left alone on the front lawn. Though he wanted to believe that Tsubaki was wrong he knew it was going to be like pulling teeth to get the others to help them. Then he remembered Lupin's words over the phone. He couldn't give up! Jigen and Goemon would definitely help. He puffed up his chest in determination as he walked into the house in search of the samurai and the gunman. 


	6. Chapter 6

"What do you mean you won't help?!?"

Zenigata was standing in the door of Jigen's room and his jaw was nearly on the floor. He had found the two men lounging there over tea and had told them that it was time to pull together and help out. They both told him no.

"You expect me to do the housework? If I had it my way I'd be long gone from this ghost town. I'm staying out of everybody's way and that should be good enough." Jigen explained dispassionately. He knew Lupin, big hearted guy he was, would send Murasaki a portion of their next take to cover food and expenses of the group staying there and that was good enough for Jigen. No need to go breaking his back for anybody. It didn't help that it was Zenigata asking. It was like he was predisposed to disagree with the man. Jigen stayed firmly in place.

"But she's done so much for us!" Zenigata said. He had imagined that this conversation would be cool calm and collected. It was none of those things. "She housed us. Cooked for us. It's the least we could do!"

Goemon, who had elected to not engage in a conversation he knew would devolve into another fight, perked up at that.

"Murasaki asked this of us?" He said.

"Well... Not exactly." Zenigata conceded after a moment. He fiddled with his hands and looked at the floor, a tad embarrassed. "I saw her struggling but she really does need some help. We could help her, no problem. Wouldn't take long at all."

"Shame she didn't. If it was her who asked, maybe things would have been different." Jigen shrugged. He looked to Goemon for confirmation but did not like the look he received from the samurai. His brow was furrowed and his eyes clear. Jigen had known Goemon long enough to understand what it most likely meant but he chose to ignore it with a clearing of his throat and dip of his chin to his chest. Zenigata saw red. He puffed up as the words built up inside him before exploding out.

"You call yourselves men?! The pregnant woman who has put her family on the line to house a bunch of criminals needs your help and you're just gonna turn your backs on her! I thought you guys had some morals or a code or something! I guess I was wrong! I guess it's just Lupin who has any sense of decency! If this is what being a thief means I want nothing to do with it!" He slammed the sliding door shut and stomped down the hall.

Jigen wanted to chalk his obstinacy up to professional habit. He lived his life as hands off as possible with civilians. That was difficult with social butterfly Lupin in the lead but he managed on his own mostly. To say that was the only reason he was being stubborn with Zenigata was a transparent lie that anyone could see. Jigen didn't give it much attention.

"It's just a little housework. We ain't dealing with missiles. Don't see why he's so bent out of shape." Jigen scoffed coolly before adding a grumbled "Asshole.." And took out his cigarettes. He knew he wasn't supposed to smoke indoors here but he was feeling rebellious. He put a smoke between his lips and traded the pack for his lighter when he couldn't deny the eyes on him any longer. He looked at Goemon, who had never wavered in his sternly expectant expression.

"Oh come on, not you too!" He groused.

"I know of your disagreement with Zenigata, but he is right. Murasaki has given us her hospitality and it would be wrong to punish her based on your personal feelings with him." Goemon explained coldly.

"Come off it, Goemon." Jigen knew he had no argument that wouldn't make him look like any more of a jerk than he already was. He flicked his lighter to life but before he could touch the flame to his cigarette, Goemon took it from Jigen's mouth and calmly rose to his feet.

"You feel you must stand your ground as a matter of principle." He said. He pulled a sash from his robe and fluidly tied his sleeves back. "Regardless, I urge you to reflect and then make the proper decision."

Having said his piece, Goemon left. Jigen scowled after him. Lousy traitor. Jigen pulled off his hat as if it had bitten him and threw it down. He rolled over on his side and decided to take a nap. Not like there was anything better to do in this place...

He did not sleep. He stared at the wall for ten minutes he turned over on his back. Another ten minutes passed and the ceiling offered no council. At last, Jigen huffed a hard sigh.

"For the love of God..." He growled and hauled himself to his feet.

  
Zenigata sheepishly entered the living room where Murasaki was helping Minoru change his damp clothes after he had "helped" wash the baby toys.

"Well, you've got me to help you out at least." he said, shrugging one shoulder. Murasaki looked up with a smile. Little Minoru was giggling with his head stuck in his sleeve.

"Oh, Mr. Zenigata. Any help is more than appreciated." She said before her son ran off blindly. "Minoru! Wait! You can't-" the little boy ran into the side of the couch and fell backward. He laid there a moment before giggling and laboriously getting back to his feel before running off again. The look Murasaki gave Zenigata was absolutely exhausted. "ANY help at all."

The door to the living room slid open and the pair saw it was Jigen. He was in his slacks and shoes but had stripped his top down to his undershirt. His hat remained on his head but he had pulled his hair back and secured it with an elastic into a short and low ponytail that just barely lifted his hair off his neck. As soon as the door slid open, Zenigata couldn't take his eyes off of Jigen. It was like looking at a mirage. Any second now Jigen would just evaporate into the air.

Jigen lingered in the doorway like a vampire waiting to be invited in. Then he stepped over to where Murasaki sat.

"I, uh... I heard you needed a hand." He said in a low, oddly sheepish voice. It reminded Murasaki of a child who had insisted he was absolutely, positively not going to apologize but was being told he had to. He was looking down because she was on the floor but Murasaki could see his eyes focusing on the wooden floor just to her right.

"I was just saying how we could use the help around here." Murasaki said with a smile. She knew it was best not to make too much of the situation. Minoru went blindly running past and Murasaki effortlessly snagged him and pulled him in with a ninja fast move. Her smile never left her face as she righted his shirt and helped him pop his arms through the sleeves. "Is Goemon not joining us?"

All at once, the group heard a high howling war cry followed by the ringing hum of metal. There was a beat and then the house shook with the sound and impact of heavy falling vegetation. Zenigata turned and Murasaki rose to her knees but Jigen didn't move. There was a scream, not of pain or fear but of unbridled gleeful laughter and the quick rhythmic thump of tiny running feet approaching. Tsubaki stuck her head into the door, bamboo leaves stuck into her hair and a look of wild joy on her face.

"Oh my gosh mom, you'll never believe it! Top Shelf Man just jumped like a hundred feet in the air and he was like-" Tsubaki made a short staccato whooshing noises through her teeth "-and all the bamboo, the bamboo higher than the house; it all came down at once, all-" this time the sound effects were that of overblown crashes, not to mention a few explosions. "It was so cool, mama, you gotta come see!"

With that run-on sentence expelled from her mouth, Tsubaki ran back down the hall, shrieking her mirth.

"He's... already pruning the garden." Jigen explained softly.

Minoru had been entranced as his sister spoke. Once she ran out of the room he whispered "Top shelf man" before jumping up to his feet and silently chasing after his sister.

"Oh dear." Murasaki said as she laboriously tried to climb to her feet. Zenigata quickly moved to help her up. "I better go make sure those two stay out of Goemon's way. It's not that I don't trust him to stay clear of the kids with that sword. It's the kids I don't trust." She chuckled a bit then started away. "If you two could get the crib and the changing table set up in the baby's room I'd really appreciate it. They're both out in the shed." And with that, she hurried after the two children. Left alone with Jigen, Zenigata could feel the tension grow. He looked at Jigen from the corner of his eye.

"I'll... Uh... Show you where the shed is." He said as he headed to the door. Jigen followed after Zenigata wordlessly with his hands shoved in his pockets. They both watched Goemon reek merry havoc on the overgrown greenery of the inner courtyard, much to the delight and awe of the children as they passed but said nothing. It took a few trips from the shed to move all the dissembled and bundled pieces of baby furniture to the baby room. In addition to the crib and changing table, they found a rocking chair and a chest of drawers all in need of assembly or minor repairs. Jigen carried what he could on his own. Anything that absolutely required two people to lift, Jigen silently picked up his side and did what he had to navigate it into the nursery. Once the furniture had been deposited into the room, each project in their own separate pile, Jigen put a toolbox he had found in the shed in the middle of the floor and sifted through it. He found a box of nails and a hammer and moved to the rocking chair. He took a knee and silently started organizing the pieces.

Zenigata watched silently. He tried to help, he really did, but the silence from Jigen was almost worse than a snotty remark or slap to the face. It was just easier to move everything into the room and keep quiet. Now that they were here though the silence was thick in the room. The ever-present tension had almost a claustrophobic feel to Zenigata. Eventually, he knew he was going to have to say something. He wouldn't be able to get through this if he didn't.

"Thanks... For helping." It came out of his mouth before he had even decided on what to say.

"Hm." Jigen acknowledged without turning from his work. He fitted a few rungs into the armrest of the chair and put them aside. Zenigata turned and looked at Jigen's back, hunched at work.

"I'm serious. I was really worried I'd have to do all this myself." He said emboldened by the fact he hadn't been tossed a snippy reply. Jigen wanted to inform Zenigata that he wasn't doing this for his benefit but he kept himself in check. He didn't want to involve himself with a conversation with the man but figured another non-response might encourage Zenigata to continue. Jigen shrugged one shoulder.

"Wasn't going to put out a lady in her condition." He droned the phrase like one man agreeing with a stranger at a bus stop about the weather. He continued to focus on his work.

"Still. It's helpful." Zenigata said looking away but not starting his project. If Jigen was in a helpful mood then perhaps he could ask the gunman for the favor he'd been mulling around in his head for a few days now. "Maybe you could help me with something later. When this is all done."

"Didn't sign up to paint the place or nothing..." Jigen replied still in that deadpan tone. He would help but only to a point. He began to hammer the arms to the seat of the chair.

"No. No. No more painting." Zenigata said as he turned more fully to look at Jigen. He smiled as he observed the other man. This seemed to be a turning point for them. At least Jigen was talking to him. Maybe Goemon had put in a good word. "I was hoping you'd give me some pointers on my shooting. I'm not too bad, always had good scores with my service weapon. I just think I can get better."

Jigen stopped with his hammer upraised. He had hoped that he had misheard Zenigata amidst the banging but he knew better. He turned his head to look over his shoulder.

"...S'that right?" He asked. It was low and emotionless.

"Um... Uh yeah." Zenigata faltered a bit. He couldn't see Jigen's eyes but he still felt pinned in place by that stare. The most he could do was lean back to put a little distance between himself and Jigen. "I still wanna help. Be part of the team and I'm still trying to find my place. I know I won't be as good as you but I could get better."

Jigen stood and turned to Zenigata. He took a step towards the former inspector and tilted his head so one eye could peek out from the shadows into the man's face. Zenigata knew Jigen wasn't carrying his Magnum but the hammer curled loosely in his fist looked just as dangerous right then.

"No one's as good as me." It was a serious correction and Jigen didn't wait for Zenigata's response before he stepped away. He peered out the sliding door and Zenigata was afraid Jigen was about to leave but the gunman returned to his work after a moment. He started to attach the legs to the rest of the chair.

Jigen had really considered leaving it at that. That Zenigata dared to make a comment like that was insulting. How Jigen shot was like a fingerprint. It wasn't something you could just pick it up on a dare. It was only the fact that Goemon and Murasaki were in eyesight of the room that had kept him from calling this exercise in stupidity quits.

Goemon had moved on from the landscaping and was now dead set on cleaning and polishing the porch ringing the courtyard. Murasaki had told Goemon that all of his work clearing out the courtyard had been more than enough but Goemon had insisted. By not considering Murasaki's feeling, he explained, Goemon felt he must repent for his nearsightedness. Murasaki had tried to downplay that and convince him it wasn't necessary but the samurai would not be swayed.

Tsubaki and Minoru had begged to race as they sometimes did when cleaning the floors with their father and Goemon obliged. Now the three of them were lined up, pushing their rags out in front of them, the children giggling and slipping and Goemon not going as fast as he could on his own. They were traversing the length of the veranda over and over again and Jigen could not step out of the room at risk of getting in their way. Then it would be questions of where he was off to and the sour guilt Goemon had a way of unloading on Jigen would return. He had meant it when he said he wasn't low enough to not help a pregnant woman out.

So he was trapped. Trapped in a room with a man he could not stand and who mistakenly believed they were equals. Jigen hurried in hammering down the second chair leg. If he could power through this favor he could be out of this room sooner rather than later.

The first reaction Zenigata had had was to disarm Jigen but the man had backed off and Zenigata's deeply engrained police training allowed him to release the tension of his muscles after the threat had passed. That's exactly what that had been. A threat. While Zenigata had been trying to make nice he didn't take kindly to threats. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He hadn't said or done anything worth threatening over. He had tried to get better. He was trying to be helpful. He didn't deserve threats from a man who didn't even really know him.

"Hey! I didn't say I could get as good as you. I said I wanted to get better." Zenigata said. He was done walking on eggshells with Jigen. If the other man wanted to fight maybe it would be better for the both of them to just get it all out there. "You think I don't know you're the best? Lupin may have always been my main target but I'm not stupid. I knew I needed to know about the men he associated with. I know you, Jigen. I know you better than you will ever know me."

Jigen turned the chair, now finished, upright and laid it down on the floor hard. Jigen hadn't wanted it to come to this; hadn't wanted to bother but now that Zenigata had started it Jigen would finish it.

"What's there to know? Couldn't hack it as a cop, can't hack it as a thief. And me? Well...not much to say." was his collected reply. Jigen was not going to rise to Zenigata's ire. It was better to shut him down calmly and efficiently like he would any target.

"I know you can perform a 0.3 second quick draw with near superhuman accuracy." Zenigata said calmly but firmly. "I know there's a small notch in the brim of your hat you use to aim. You don't need to use it but it's more accurate if you do. I know you prefer your Magnum because of the stopping power and its dependability against misfire and you've been known to tell Lupin he should ditch his Walther cause it 'recoils like a call girl'." he rattled off the details like he was rattling off a rap sheet, though the last part was said with some dry humor. "I know you hate the dentist because when we were all caught in that mess with Suzuki and the whole crazy clone thing in Tokyo that you lost your accuracy because you had a toothache and you wouldn't go get it taken care of. I know you have a sister. Name and current residence unknown." he paused now, wondering if this last one was too close to home but he'd already dove in headfirst. It was too late to go back. He softened this time. "I know about Cicciolina."

Those last two facts had come down on Jigen like open handed slaps to either side of his face. He held the shock and anger at bay, hoping Zenigata hadn't seen them

"Lupin tell you all that? Sure, course he did. Why not? It's what husbands do." He scowled softly. Zenigata rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. If Jigen was gonna play mucho macho, he could play it too. Hell, he invented this game.

"Yeah, Lupin and I sit around for hours and hours just talking about you." Zenigata said sarcastically. "Trust me. There are a lot of other things husbands do that have nothing to do with you. You should know Lupin better than that. He ain't gonna run his mouth about his partners. Besides, there are things even Lupin doesn't know about you."

Jigen crossed to the door, slid it closed then returned to sit in the rocking chair he had just assembled. He sat with confidence, legs spread and arms slung over the rests. He looked up at Zenigata like a man in an interrogation room who knew nothing could be pinned on him. A man calling a bluff.

"That sure is a lot of trivia you got there. That all? What else ya got?"

"I know your real name ain't Daisuke Jigen." He said calmly leaning back against the wall. He let that sink in. The hammer in Jigen's hand slipped and almost fell. He grimaced and tightened his hold on it. It was subtle and involuntary but it was enough. Jigen had flinched and that made his blood boil. Even though he wanted to smile, Zenigata held it in. It was interesting to see Jigen show some emotion like that.

"When you joined up with Lupin I looked into you and what I found was a ghost." The former inspector remembered when he had first looked into Jigen how he had been amazed that someone could leave no paper trail and be in what he presumed was his late twenties or early thirties.

"All I knew about you was that you came over with some American mob boss who was on the lamb. And then you just existed. A man who spoke Japanese and English fluently, who could shoot like he'd been born with a gun in his hand and had no name." Zenigata paused for a moment. He remembered how intruiged he'd been with this new partner of his nemesis. "Then your name finally fell onto my desk. Daisuke Jigen. It only caused more questions. Why would a former mob hitman become a thief and give himself a name that means dimensions."

Zenigata uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands in his pockets, affecting a more casual air. He smiled a little remembering the puzzle the marksman had offered him. "I had theories. Some at the department said you saw yourself as multi-dimensional. That's why you chose that name. I said it was something else. A Japanese-American raised in the states and moved to Japan. A thief and an assassin. Never settling. Always moving. You were caught in between dimensions. Never truly home in any of them." He chuckled. "Might be way off. Guess I could ask now. Don't think you'll tell me though."

Jigen stood sharply. The rocking chair creaked. Zenigata's words had not been one to one but the sentiment was far too close for comfort. Jigen had never been left feeling so naked by someone's impressions of him before. He had never dared breathe a word of such emotions to anyone. It scared him that Zenigata, who was never a real threat to the gang, was capable of such damn insight.

"Smug bastard." He growled for a lack of any other come back. Zenigata fixed the man with a sobering look.

"If that's what I could do as a cop think of what I can do as a thief."

"If you're so smart then you know I wouldn't help you tie your shoes let alone brush up on shooting." Jigen sneered and shoved the hammer into Zenigata's hands. He turned away and moved the rocking chair to rest against the far wall of the room.

"Besides, haven't I let you have enough?" He muttered as he did so. Jigen looked down at the painting on the chair's headrest. Little rabbits frolicking on the surface of a full round moon. Their mirth chafed Jigen.

The switch from satisfied to stunned was a fast one on Zenigata's face. He had already resolved himself to the fact that Jigen wasn't gonna help him but that last part was harder to swallow. "What the hell does that mean?"

"And here I thought you knew everything about me..." The snide remark felt good coming out of Jigen's mouth.

"You haven't given me anything." Zenigata said skeptically. He took a step closer. "Anything I've ever gotten from you is like pulling teeth. Right down to everything I just told you. That took digging. That took work."

"Yeah, cause you don't deserve to have it easy. You came in and screwed up what little peace I had in my life so forgive me if I try to return the favor."Jigen's voice rose a bit at that. He turned and fixed Zenigata with a posture that was hard and unforgiving, shoulders squared and jaw set. Defusing the situation would have been a better idea but Zenigata was mad.

"You self centered bastard! It might surprise you but the world doesn't revolve around you. I came into your life cause I married your partner. It has nothing to do with you!"

"It has everything to do with me! He was my partner before he was your husband!" Jigen was shouting now. He grabbed Zenigata by the strap of his tank top. The hammer hit the floor with a thunk when Zenigata dropped it. "I was always there for him! We starved together. We slept on the damn street together! You got no clue what we've been through because I might have done anything he ever asked me to but all you had to do was tell him no! Lupin always wants what he can't have! You were no exception!"

Zenigata's hands came up and grabbed Jigen at the wrist, ready to break the hold if he had to.

"I love him! I'm not gonna just push him away cause it makes your life easier!" Zenigata glared at Jigen. "You don't hold the monopoly on hard times with Lupin, ya know! I almost died keeping Lupin safe! I gave up my whole life to be with him! I'd willingly starve and live on the streets if I got to be by his side again but I'm stuck here with you talking nonsense!"

"You fucking idiot! Don't you get it?! I did the exact same thing! I put everything I had on the line for Lupin - my hide, my gun, everything you gave him - and he still picked you! He's always gonna pick you!" Jigen's knuckles were white with exertion as he held the man's shirt in his fist.

The anger left Zenigata's face almost as quickly as the air left his lungs. The whole thing hit him like a sucker punch to the gut. It was no secret between them that Lupin and Jigen had had a sexual relationship at one point but to know now that there were unspoken feelings from one side, probably both sides if Zenigata was honest with himself as his husband was known to fall in love fast; that was sobering. If Jigen had spoken up years ago maybe his own platinum wedding band would be gracing Jigen's ring finger. His hands loosened on Jigen's and his brow furrowed.

"Lupin said... I didn't..." Zenigata was speechless. What do you say to a man who just admitted he was still in love with your husband?

It would have been easier if Zenigata had been angry. If he had hauled off and hit Jigen. Then he wouldn't have to deal with the demoralizing look of despair on the other man's face. He let go of Zenigata, shaking his wrist free of the man's slight grasp and took a step back. He had said too much and that was mortifying.

"Fuck..." He grumbled to himself. He removed his hat and raked his fingers through his hair. He swore again, barking it out loud this time and throwing his hat to the floor. " _Fuck_!"

Since Lupin had come into his world, Zenigata had experienced things he never thought he would ever happen in his life. This was one of those moments. Someone was jealous of him. No one had ever been jealous of Zenigata before. He stood back. Approaching Jigen now would probably earn him a black eye.

"I didn't know. I don't think Lupin knows." He said both as an excuse and a consolation.

"Of course he doesn't know!" Jigen answer was sharp. He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes and made a frustrated sound behind his teeth. He dropped his arms to his side heavily. "That idiot can never see anything else when he's focused on romance! And do you think I'd be stupid enough to let him know?!"

Zenigata almost said 'maybe you should have' but stopped. He could only imagine what life would have been like now if Jigen had made his feelings clear.

"He's an easy man to fall for." Zenigata said calmly. His voice was low and calm like someone trying to get a jumper from stepping back from the ledge. "Lupin doesn't seem like your type. I'm more surprised by that than how you feel."

The last thing Jigen wanted from Zenigata was any kind of sympathy. He reeled on him.

"You really are dense! Lupin isn't a 'type'! He's a damn force of nature!" Jigen said it almost as if Lupin was that way on purpose. Sometimes it felt that way. Lupin had a smile that could make your heart sing and at the same moment ache because you knew it was only for you but never for long. It just made you want to hand yourself over to him all the more. "Did you think I wanted this?! It's the sorriest thing I've ever heard of!"

"I can tell you something sorrier." Zenigata said shaking his head and looking sheepish. "He ever told you how he told me he cared?"

Jigen tilted his head and cast a mistrustful eye on Zenigata. He paired it with a sneer. He couldn't stand how calm Zenigata was being over all this but to continue yelling at the man when he responded so level headedly kept Jigen from feeling he had any right to raise his voice. He settled for snapping at him.

"He's never told me about you two." He said. That wasn't entirely true as Jigen was reminded of a night with too much wine and Lupin pouring his heart out over some fight he and Zenigata had had. It had ended in Lupin trying to jump Jigen. At this moment, the gunman regretted being the better man and not taking the heartbroken thief up on the offer. It was the last time they had kissed. That realization made Jigen hate Zenigata all the more.

Zenigata leaned back against the wall. His eyes went drifting up to the ceiling as he remembered.

"It was after one of our truces. We had taken down a sex trafficker together. Real scum ball. We went back to business as usual. Except it wasn't." Zenigata smiled then. He had been so world weary then. So tired. "He left flowers behind. Tons of them. And notes. Not his regular, cocky snotty notes but love notes. I nearly drove myself nuts trying to find a code hidden in it. Why else would a smart, capable, romantic, handsome guy leave _me_ love notes and flowers in highly secured buildings?" He laughed now remembering the fight he and Lupin had had in Spain. "Not much sorrier than that. A man empties jewelry stores and art galleries to fill with flowers for you and you're convinced it's a mean joke." He sighed remembering the shock of Lupin confessing his real feelings. "I really am a fucking idiot."

"Wish I was lucky enough to have your problems..." Jigen responded. It was without question the kind of over the top gesture that Lupin was capable of. "Not my style but I tell you what, I wouldn't say no coming from Lupin. Now I just have to stand there and watch you two make eyes at each other day in and day out."

A blush spread across Zenigata's cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed.

"I guess we could tone it back a little." He conceded.

"Or maybe I should just go. Doesn't need me hanging around when he's got you. That's not gonna change." Jigen suggested. It was a low voice, resigned but strong as if the thought didn't bother Jigen. It was unconvincing. In a softer voice, laced with self-deprecation he added: "No matter how long I stick around..."

Jigen hung his head, hands planted in his hips as if he were contemplating it gravely. His lean form was on display beneath his undershirt.

Jigen was thin. Not like how Lupin was thin, taut runner's muscles filling out a naturally stretched frame. One didn't want to use the word scrawny but the prominent shape of each rib bone, the hollows of Jigen's cheeks and the dip of his solar plexus said otherwise. He was a man with a dangerous hand and arm and most importantly mind but something must have distracted Jigen from more meals than he realized. One could blame his vices; the booze and the cigarettes and the killing, making Jigen grow hard. It was easy to live leanly when you were unused to creature comforts but there was a brilliant pain, like shards of sparkling glass, in Jigen's eyes - eyes Zenigata had not see unshaded by the safe shadows of his hat brim for such a length of time - that caused Zenigata to think that Jigen's troubles were not external. It was the first time Zenigata considered that this terrible, dangerous, confident man had spent the last six months feeling anything but in control of his life.

"He needs you. He relies on you more than he could ever rely on me." Zenigata said. It wasn't said out of pity. It was the truth. "I can't shoot like you. I'll never be able to do that." His eyebrows furrowed as he thought. Lupin probably had shown Jigen signs that he cared - less grand, more personal - but the man hadn't taken them. Even though it had been against the law, Zenigata had taken at least a couple of flowers. Then with the clarity of a bell ringing, it dawned on Zenigata. He had stolen those flowers. Not just from anywhere. From a crime scene full of police too. He was already a thief. The weight of it all lifted from him and his resolve was renewed. He smiled at Jigen. "Lupin would be lost without you. You're part of the crew."

That phrase stung and spectacularly backfired as it detonated another bomb of pain in Jigen's heart. He lashed out again, even though he felt so damn exhausted by the whole situation.

"I'm a part of his gang but I'm not part of his life! Did you ever think for a second that you joining up wouldn't change things? This isn't about you sleeping with Lupin or being married to him. That's my cross to bear and I'll do it. I gave up on that way back. It's about you taking away the only person who liked me for who I am! I'm not a nice guy. Nice guys don't work for the mob or for warlords. But Lupin made me a better person and I'd like to think I did the same for him. He was the only person who didn't look at me like a walking gun! I need him so damn much! And that kills me sometimes!" Jigen spat the words like venom at Zenigata. Once they were out of his mouth, the spark of anger was replaced with a cold ache.

Jigen thought of the younger days. Lupin was young and cocky and had never had any partners or friends to speak of. Not really. Things had always been business to start between them. But somewhere along the way, very slowly his time with Jigen and Fujiko and eventually Goemon had softened Lupin. Without Jigen realizing it, Lupin had secretly grown up and realized the hard guy routine wasn't worth it. His passion and his love of the chase was still there and perhaps stronger than ever now that he realized that he didn't have to take it all so seriously and that vivacity had a way of infecting those around him. Jigen had been a killer but it was Lupin who had tamed him in his way and turned him back into a man. He was like a silver bullet to a werewolf.

Now those memories felt like a cruel joke. Jigen felt stupid for once again letting someone close enough to hurt him. For holding on so tight when he should have just taken the hint and let go.

"I just want my best friend back, you son of a bitch. I had him first." He added with bitter fatigue. The pain was still there in Jigen's eyes but it was both molten hot and ice cold. Tempered with anger and painful honesty.

"Have you told him?" The words came out of Zenigata's mouth before he could stop them. His hand flew up and covered his mouth as he looked expectantly at Jigen.

"Why...Why the hell would I tell him?" Jigen croaked. He looked as if Zenigata was threatening him. A cold hand closed around Jigen's heart and a feeling that was often unfamiliar to Jigen came to the forefront. Numb dread. "I can't tell him. You can't tell him. We aren't talking about this."

Jigen turned away and went to where the pieces of the crib were. He began to stand them, hoping to do the task assigned to him as quickly as possible and never look at Zenigata again. He tried to still the tremble in his hands as he lined two of the longer unruly pieces up and pick the hammer back up. He struggled to keep them aligned long enough to get the nail into them.

"Listen." Zenigata began as he placed his hands on his hips. His stance was one of the tough cop telling the young punk to straighten up and fly right. "He may be a genius when it comes to tech and planning heists but he can be a dumbass any other time. How's he supposed to know you feel like you've lost your friend if you don't tell him?"

Jigen dropped the nail and it clattered on the old wooden floor. He quickly snatched it back up and tried again in vain to hammer it into the crib.

"We aren't talking about this." Jigen repeated, flat and stubborn.

"But if you just talk to him..." Zenigata said almost pleadingly. Jigen dropped the nail a second time and in his frustration he let the wooden slats clatter to the floor. He had Zenigata by the shirt a moment later and was shoving him against the wall.

"Zenigata, what am I going to tell him? You tell me what I'm going to say! That I can't get on without him in my life? That I hung around the apartment since he got married because I'd rather torture myself by seeing him happy than hit the road cause I'm a chicken shit who can't risk there being no place for me next time I come back? No one I love ever keeps me if they can find an excuse to leave me flat! You have no idea what that feels like, you bastard!" He shouted. The anger was melting into something desperate and heartbroken and Jigen dropped his head and slackened his hold on Zenigata.

"You bastard..." He said again, this time in a hoarse whisper. His hands fell away and Jigen sunk to the floor. With no hat to hide his eyes, Jigen pressed his face into his hands. Zenigata stood there, stunned. He hadn't expected that level of emotion from the marksman. Now he was faced with a choice. Walk away and pretend it never happened or try to fix it.

"I haven't seen my daughter since she was three." He said after a moment. "I came back from one of my trips chasing Lupin and she didn't even recognize me. She hid behind her mother. Wouldn't come near me." He said it all in a low detached way. "I was a stranger to her. So when my wife served me with divorce papers I just signed them and walked away. There wasn't a place for me there anymore and now my daughter is a grown woman I'll never know."

The emotions cut surprisingly deeper than Zenigata knew they did and he had to take a deep breath to steady himself. "Point is I should have tried to find a new normal. I should have said 'yeah. It's not working between me and your mom but I'm always gonna be there for you. I'm always gonna be your dad.' but instead I walked away and started acting like a stone-cold bastard. A man I now despise and am ashamed of ever becoming."

Zenigata swallowed hard around the lump in his throat.

"It's hard for a man to be vulnerable, Jigen. Especially in your... Our line of business. I know that. But if you wanna be part of Lupin's life you gotta take that step. Tell him what you told me. You gotta make yourself a place in this new life cause if ya don't you'll have to make a new life someplace else. Only this time Lupin won't be part of it."

Jigen did not lift himself from where he sat. He ran his hands over his hair and hooked them behind his neck. He hesitated, not knowing what to say. He wished he had Lupin's gift for words. It was foreign to think of Zenigata as a family man, devoted workaholic he was, but the additional weight of the fact that Zenigata had lost it all a lifetime ago was a sobering thought indeed. Jigen didn't want to think that he and Zenigata had anything in common but he couldn't deny that the man had been left at the wayside by someone he thought would love him forever. It was painfully familiar in its specificity. 

"I didn't know," Jigen started then cleared his throat when he heard his voice still hoarse from his outburst "I didn't know you had a daughter."

Zenigata stepped past Jigen and crouched next to the pieces of the crib. He started organizing the pieces. "Yeah, well not too many do. I think Lupin knows but I'm not sure. We knew each other pretty well before... Everything. I feel like he'd try to get me to go see her if he did know."

Jigen was embarrassed by his outpouring in the face of Zenigata's calm. He supposed it was tempered by years of grappling with his tragedy. Jigen had been stuffing his emotions down for the last year, letting them grow and fester in his mind and heart. He did feel a surreal lightness having said his fears out loud but it was dampened by the humiliation of having said them to such a man. Despite it all, Jigen had to ask:

"How do ya handle it? Watching someone look right past you like that? Loving them so much and seeing them stop caring?"

"My daughter didn't know me. Lupin knows you. He hasn't stopped caring. He's just preoccupied right now." Zenigata said as he started assembling the rungs for the side of the baby crib. "That little monkey can only handle so much at one time before he becomes oblivious to what's in front of him. Damn, forgot how complicated these things are to put together." He swapped one piece for another and they locked into place.

"Doesn't make it hurt any less..." Jigen grumbled.

"Didn't say it wouldn't hurt." Zenigata said as he started to put the other things together. "It's gonna hurt. It has to. If it didn't it wouldn't mean anything."

He thought of how scared his daughter had been of him. How she had cried and begged her mother to make him go away. He'd gone out to drink after. Had gotten absolutely wasted then stayed at a hotel. When he came back to the apartment his wife and daughter were gone. The papers came in the mail the next week. "It aches and it burns even years later but ya go on living despite the pain. You get stronger and ya know better next time."

It was bizarre to hear advice like that coming from Zenigata. It was advice that usually Jigen would be the one to give out. In fact, it's what Jigen would have said almost word for word. Perhaps he couldn't see it because he was too close to the situation.

"Sounds like we're both too bullheaded to let it kill us..." Jigen allowed in a gravely soft tone. A soft laugh slipped out from Zenigata.

"Yeah stubborn bastards like us don't know when it's time to roll over and give up. Takes more than a broken heart to get us to lay down." He shot Jigen a dry smile.

"More grit than sense." Jigen chuckled mirthlessly. He fished a half burned smoke from his pocket and put it in his mouth. He didn't light it, just sucked a bit on the paper filter and rolled it along his palette with his tongue for the flavor. It soothed him. To light up and take a deep drag would have been far more satisfying but even now he knew what the ground rules were and obeyed them.

"You got that right." Zenigata chuckled again. The former inspector tried to press the top and bottom rungs together. They didn't seem to want to cooperate. "Son of a-" He grumbled before giving up and sitting back.

Jigen considered his options for a moment longer. He never would have thought he would bare his greatest fears to Zenigata. The man was a cop and that, whether he liked it or not, was an exacerbating reason for Jigen's insecurities. Not someone the gunman would ever trust to confide in. But thinking about things like that suddenly didn't sit right with Jigen. And the reason for that, as most things in Jigen's life, came down to Lupin.

Lupin was an enigma. He was a pervert but a romantic, a criminal but an altruist. A happy go lucky fool who treated danger like a colorful and decadent treat. It was that duality that drew you in. With all of that devil may care panache came a beautiful insight. It was like Lupin could look right into your heart. He could see who you really were, no matter what anyone else said. He could find the spark of goodness in the flintiest black heart. He had done it with Jigen. He saw a man who could be funny and witty and honestly laid back where the rest of the world (even Jigen) just saw a killer.

In the beginning, Lupin's attentions had chafed Jigen. He had always been ready for the other shoe to drop. The inevitable betrayal that came with letting anyone treat you as a friend. It had been a process of years to let Lupin's compliments and kind actions be true. But he had and it had been all the more rewarding. Lupin had believed in Jigen.

And now Lupin believed in Zenigata. He believed he could rise above the black and white of the world. He was not his badge or the people who left him behind. No more than Jigen was his gun or his own heartbreak. Zenigata had walked the long and lonely road that Jigen had, albeit from a different direction and Lupin had enough clarity to see that.

Jigen hadn't given thought to how Zenigata was trying to learn to live a whole different kind of life contrary to his own. Perhaps Goemon could consider it upon reflection but it wasn't how Jigen operated. He wanted to think he lived his life always looking ahead but based on how he had been acting it was not true. That was tough for him.

But if Lupin trusted Zenigata to make it how could Jigen not at least consider it? He trusted Lupin with his life after all.

Jigen stood and retrieved his hat. He smoothed back his hair before putting it on, a graceful and well practiced one-two maneuver. Then he took a knee at the other end of the furniture piece Zenigata was struggling with. He held it still and upright for Zenigata to try again with a more steady foundation. Zenigata was a tad surprised at first. Those long-fingered dextrous hands were suddenly there and helping him. He looked up and Jigen quickly looked back to the task. With the rung secured, he easily got the pieces to lock into place.

"Hand me the hammer and the nails." he said, not sure if a thank you would set them back. Jigen did as he was told, scooping up the box of nails with an easy cold grace. He placed it and the hammer beside Zenigata and returned to his spot steadying the project. The pair worked in silence for a bit.

"I gotta admit... It's all the stuff with Lupin that's keeping me from wanting to help ya." Jigen said at last. He had waited for Zenigata to sink in a nail as if the hammering would mask the exposedness of the words. "Looks bad on me, huh?"

Keeping his eyes trained on the work, Zenigata hammered in first one nail then moved onto the next part. "Honestly, no. I'll admit I've had a few jealous moments recently. Probably would have done the same thing if our roles were reversed."

"Yeah well...there's hard on you and then there's how I took it." Jigen admitted. He kept his head downcast, once again hidden in the safety of his hat's shade.

"It's not a big deal. Really. Hold this." He said as he held up the two sides of the crib. Jigen complied and Zenigata went to work securing them. "I forgot you two were a thing until Lupin helped you over the wall after I botched the art heist. You worked so well together. Like you could read each other's minds while I just kept bumbling along."

Jigen took that thought in.

"Well, comes with time, I suppose. Ya learn to sense it after long enough. We'll get there eventually." Jigen made it sound effortless, like the words didn't mean anything at all. The implications were buried in the casual delivery of the statement.

"Suppose you're right." Zenigata said as he started to get the last wall of the crib in place and fastened. A small smile spread across his face. Then it grew. Before long he was laughing outright. "Lupin would love it if he knew we were fighting over him." He said as he looked at Jigen for the first time since they had really started talking.

Jigen did not laugh but a droll little smile creased his mouth. He pointed a mock accusatory finger in Zenigata's direction.

"We never tell him about this. It'd swell his head something awful." It was not a command but a reminder that was halfway to friendly. "No, this is our little secret."

Zenigata laughed again. "He's not gonna hear anything from me. Nothing leaves this room." He said holding up his hands defensively. He grabbed the last pieces and slid them into the place on the bottom of the bed. "Help me stand this up."

Jigen felt a weird pang of something both comforting and strange. Things would be slow going - Jigen knew all of his issues could not be fixed after one argument - but the gunman could tell that this was the first step in becoming if not happy at least comfortable with Lupin's decision. Maybe Zenigata was not just his friend's husband and Jigen might be able to get to know the person beyond that platinum band on his finger. After all, he reasoned, you only shared secrets with people you trusted.

The rest of the nursery furniture came together surprisingly quickly and Zenigata and Jigen even had time to paint over the scuffs and dings on the crib and dresser with a can of old wood stain they found in the shed. They went the extra mile to arrange the pieces in the room before bringing Murasaki in. She had been overjoyed to find the dusty old furniture renewed like this. She had not expected everything to look so nice and it filled her with a child's giddiness. As she poured over each piece, Zenigata glanced over to Jigen. He had perched his hat back on his head to wipe the sweat from his brow and Zenigata caught his face. Jigen was watching Murasaki with a kind of gentleness. It was a calm expression, not brimming with excitement, but Zenigata could not mistake the quiet pride he saw there. He did not make mention of it but only watched until Jigen seemed to shrewdly remember himself and pull his hat back low.

  
Dinner had never tasted better since they had come to Hida, in Zenigata's opinion and when he said as much, Goemon wryly suggested that the best spice was hard work. Tsubaki, who had insisted upon sitting beside Goemon nodded sagely. She had decided she was going to be Goemon's newest apprentice after seeing his demonstration in the garden that afternoon and was soaking his wisdom in like a sponge. Goemon had tried to take it in stride.

There was a knock at the front door and Murasaki rose with some difficulty, thinking aloud that it was odd to have a visitor this late in the evening. After a few minutes, she returned with a large package in her arms. She was reading the label with some perplexity.

"What's that? Gift from your husband? He sending souvenirs back from Hokkaido already?" Jigen asked in as playful a way Jigen could manage. Murasaki looked at the group and then back to the shipping label.

"The return label is from his company." She explained. She lifted the package and looked under it as if that would help her apparent confusion. She perched it back on her stomach a moment later and returned her gaze to the three men. "But it's addressed to you guys."

Zenigata looked between both Goemon and Jigen. "Ya think it's Lupin?"

Minoru paused in his shoveling of rice in his mouth and abruptly dropped his bowl on the table before looking over at his sister.

"Funny gift man." He said with gravitas as if he was informing her of an important visitor. The seriousness of the moment was lessened by the bits of rice stuck to his cheek. Jigen and Goemon also exchanged a look. One of unspoken agreement that the knowledge of Lupin being christened with a nickname as ridiculous at the ones they had been given by Murasaki's strange little son could be used against him to most likely hilarious results. Jigen shrugged.

"Well, only one way to find out..." He proclaimed. Everyone busied themselves with quickly moving bowls and utensils away from the table. Murasaki set the package down with a bit of a huff. It was the depth and shape of a decent sized suitcase and the group all hovered over it. Sure enough above Murasaki's address where Jigen, Goemon and Zenigata's names. They were written in a flawless cursive.

Goemon took point and with a snap of his wrist, Zantetsuken made quick work if the twine and tape closing the box. Jigen opened the flaps and he hesitated a moment before reaching in to pull out a bundle wrapped in black tissue paper and tied with soft cream cord. There were two identical packages stacked beneath it. On each of the bundle was a tag, glossy ivory card stock with a single initial on it. There was one for each of the men. Zenigata picked up his package. It had some weight to it but was soft. He raised an eyebrow and once again looked at the two men.

"Knowing Lupin, this could be really good or really bad."

Jigen tossed his head in unwilling agreement and turned his gaze back to his bundle. He huffed a sigh and pulled the cord. He pulled back the black paper and laid eyes on a suit, folded immaculately. It was exquisite. Jigen could tell that even before he laid a hand on it.

It was a two button jacket with matching slacks made from glossy chambray, breathable and strong. Jigen lifted the coat up to inspect it and saw it was tailored with higher armholes and slim sleeves. It was how Jigen preferred it for ease of movement when shooting. It was a perfect choice for a spring suit and it had been paired with a wine button-down and a silk tie that was such a pale silver it was almost white. There was even a sturdy new belt and matching shoes in shining black patent leather. A little jewelry box held a pair of cufflinks in gunmetal and a matching tiebar in which, looking closer, the gunman saw a little chip of amethyst in. Jigen whistled low.

"Really good..." He confirmed, not taking his eyes off the suit.

"Clothes!" Tsubaki exclaimed as if it was an affront. "That's a dumb gift." she sneered at Jigen before turning adoring eyes on Goemon. "I bet you got something better than that. Open yours now!"

Goemon lifted his bundle from the box and carefully pulled the cord free. He too had an outfit which was similar to the kind he preferred but the craftsmanship on these garments was apparent. The short robe was made of a high thread count cotton that was incredibly fine. It was in a pale yellow that contrasted against an inky black trim around the neck. Goemon could see that trim and the edges of the sleeves had been embellished with little knots and geometric designs in matching thread that added an almost invisible richness to the simple garment. Goemon ran his hands along it, feeling the contrast of smooth planes of soft cotton and raised embroidery. Beneath the robe where dark ocean blue hakama trousers, crisp and newly pressed with deep pleats as well as white tabi socks and wooden sandals with thongs in the same blue as the hakama.

"Exquisite..." He said softly. Murasaki, who had been studying Jigen's gift over his shoulder, gently took Goemon's robe in hand and rubbed the fabric between her thumb and fingers. She held it up to the light as she spoke.

"These fabrics are from my husband's company, alright. I don't know all of his work, but I can tell his tastes. It's really high quality. Must have been commissioned special." She explained. It was a studious observation and silently spoke of her support of her husband and his work.

"It'll look wonderful on you." She added and offered the short robe back to Goemon, who despite himself, blushed. Murasaki's smile softened and she took the opportunity to release Goemon from scrutiny by turning to Zenigata.

"And what about you?" She asked with sweet anticipation. With deep trepidation, Zenigata took his pack from the box and untied it. When the paper was pushed to the side he was surprised. Inside lay his grey suit. Why would Lupin send him his old gray suit and get new things for Goemon and Jigen? Not that he was complaining. The suit had been like a security blanket for him at some of his hardest times. There it lay with a crisp white shirt and the customary indigo tie.

The moment he took the suit in hand he knew it was different. Softer. Thinner. His forehead crinkled as he looked in confusion at the jacket.

"Hey, isn't that your suit? The good one?" Jigan asked. The marksman wouldn't ever admit it but he knew Zenigata's suits pretty well by now and this was Zenigata's favorite. Zenigata shook his head.

"No. No. Mine's wool. This one is cashmere." It struck him suddenly that he was able to identify the material this suit was made from without much thought. In his old life, a suit was a suit and the more economical the better. This knowledge was definitely new. "How do I even know that?" He said turning to look at Jigen.

"Comes from hanging around Lupin." Jigen said with a little smirk. "You'll get used to it."

With a smile, Zenigata looked back to his present. He supposed that was as close to a "welcome to the gang" as he was gonna get from Jigen and he was happy to accept it. He continued to study his gift. The shirt was the next thing Zenigata inspected. It was white cotton like his other one but the thread count was clearly much higher. He lifted the silk tie and admired it. His original tie had been royal blue but Lupin must have decided that the look needed a bit of an update and had chosen indigo. He smiled and turned the tie over to see the hand stitching he knew he would find there. These were all the little things Lupin had taught him about luxuries and fashion. If he could learn that he supposed he could learn how to be a thief.

He smiled as he moved the shirt and tie to the side before going to hold the jacket up to get a better look. As he took the gray cloth in hand he saw a riot of color in the lining. Zenigata's brow crinkled as he pulled it out and opened the jacket on the table.

"Ain't that a Van Gogh?" Jigen said leaning over to look. The silk lining of his fully lined jacket had been screened with the image of a painting. A painting of a vase full of flowers. Goemon leaned over to look.

"Yes. I believe it is one of his still life paintings, 'Japanese Vase With Roses and Anemones'." He paused and his head tilted to the side. "But those aren't the flowers from the painting."

Jigen switched his gaze from the jacket to Goemon. "Why would Lupin switch out the flowers?"

"Cause he's sending me a message." Zenigata said. He had silently been reading the message to himself over and over while the others spoke, interpreting each bloom like some ancient cipher.

"How?" Said a small voice from the other side of the table. The three men looked up and saw Minoru looking over the table at the picture on the jacket. He added matter of factly. "Flowers. Not hiragana."

Minoru had seen his sister's school books and she had told them that she had to learn hiragana to be able to read and write. So how could someone get a message with no hiragana? Zenigata smiled and the words almost choked him with the emotion behind it.

"If you listen closely, all flowers can tell you what they have to say." In his mind, fireworks were going off and Lupin was leaning in close to whisper riddles.

"What are they saying?" Tsubaki asked. For once she was looking at someone like Goemon wasn't the center of the universe. With a chuckle, Zenigata traced his fingertips over each flower as he read their message.

"We'll start with these." he said as he ran his fingers up a long stem with yellow flowers running up it. "This is goldenrod and they tell us about the good fortune ahead." He moved to a white flower with each bloom consisted of five or six small yellow clustered florets surrounded by fuzzy white petals in a double-star formation. "These are called edelweiss. They are here to tell me to have courage and the chamomile reminds me to be patient." He smiled fondly at the daisy-like flowers with their yellow center and white petals. As Zenigata came to the next flower he looked at Jigen from the corner of his eye. In the back of the bouquet was a spray of green, flattened branchlets.

"This is arborvitae. Even trees tell stories and this one tells the story of new and unchanging friendship." Zenigata saw Jigen run the lapel of his new jacket between his thumb and fingers. His head was lowered studying it but Zenigata could see something frail and hard to read around Jigen's mouth. A tightening that was neither a smile nor a frown. He said nothing. Zenigata cleared his throat as he moved on. His fingers traced the curling petals of an orange flower with black speckles.

"Tiger Lilies are for wealth." He laughed a little at that. Leave it to Lupin to bring wealth and fortune. "These are some of my favorites." He said as he moved to the small blue flowers with little yellow rings at the center. "These flowers tell their story so loud that they're named after their message. Forget-me-nots."

The morning after the first time he had made love to Lupin that was the flower that had been left for him. The message was much deeper than the name told. It was a promise. A promise that it hadn't been a dream. That there would be more to come. That it was love.

"The last three are the most important." Zenigata said as he moved to the flowers at the front of the vase. "Everyone knows that a red rose is for love. And this one has the same name as Lupin himself. Just spelled a little different." He chuckled as he moved his hand from the lush red rose to the blue stalk of the lupine flower "Lupine stands for creativity. We all know Lupin has that in spades. It's his flower. It's how he used to sign all his messages to me." A dreamy look slid over Zenigata's face as he lingered on the blue bloom.

"Fish flower!" Minoru yelled and pointed at the yellow flower that was left.

Zenigata laughed. "That's right. Like the flowers on my koi tattoo. This is my flower. It means a request to be loved in return." he smoothed his hands over the artwork hidden inside his jacket. "This is my life with Lupin. My marriage. All laid out in a replica of the first suit he gave me. Even though we're apart... he's always with me."

"That's beautiful." Murasaki said, her small hand placed over her heart. No doubt she was thinking of her own husband.

"Yeah. It is. Thank you." He answered. Zenigata knew he must have that dopey look he had on his face whenever Lupin was extra sweet and lavished him with attention but he didn't care. Goemon's brow was crinkled but it was in a strange kind of surprise. Zenigata who had learned to read the samurai's expressions somewhat better over the last weeks, could tell by the pursed smile that Goemon was impressed.

"Have you always had such knowledge of flowers?" Goemon asked with what passed with him for warmth.

"No. It was Lupin's idea. It was safer for us to send messages that way." Zenigata explained, turning to look at Goemon. "We could tell the messages were left by the other because of our signature flowers. After all those years, I know just about every flower's meaning."

"That's actually pretty slick." Jigen acknowledged. It was with that same cool demeanor he said most things and for once Zenigata could not detect a bit of sarcasm. Jigen seemed to catch himself and added without losing his unruffled edge "for a couple of love birds."

Zenigata could see Jigen was smiling thinly now. He smiled back. Suddenly Tsubaki was on her feet and pointing at Zenigata's coat.

"There's a note!" Tsubaki cried excitedly. Sure enough, a familiar red card sat within the inner breast pocket. Tsubaki reached across the table and plucked the card out and flipped it over. She began to read out loud.

"To the three members of the ill...illa-" here Tsubaki struggled with the word, squinting at it. Murasaki read over her shoulder then chuckled musically.

"Illustrious." She prompted.

"Illustrious..." Tsubaki tried the word out and found she liked how it felt in her mouth. She began again. "To the three members of the illustrious Lupin Gang, I hope my care package finds you well. I am happy to inform you that all the preparations in Osaka have been made and I humbly ask for your presence at the Osaka International Convention Center at the strike of midnight on the twenty-ninth of March. Please arrive in your party clothes. Yours, Lupin The Third!"

Tsubaki was all but cheering by the time she finished the note and she held it above her head triumphantly. Her eyes glittered.

"This is so cool! Mom, can we go too?!" She asked breathlessly. Murasaki laughed and brushed her fingers through her hair fondly.

"No, sweetie. I think it's going to be a... business trip." She explained. She smiled with knowing kindness at Zenigata. Zenigata looked from Murasaki to the children. Minoru was affecting the same "pretty please" puppy dog eyes as his sister. The little boy probably didn't know why but if his sister wanted it must be worth having. It broke his heart to have to tell them no but they definitely couldn't bring them along.

"Your mom is right, kids. This is grown-up stuff we gotta go take care of." The children wilted at the disappointing answer and Zenigata thought of what Lupin would do in this situation. He smirked as he held up one finger to get the children's attention. "Now none of that, you hear? Just cause you ain't coming along doesn't mean you ain't part of the Lupin Gang. The youngest members ever, in fact. As soon as we finish our job you better be prepared to get your cut in the mail."

Goemon and Jigen were both quietly amused by all their expressions were any indication.

"Well, we've split with worse." Jigen noted. Goemon nodded his agreement.

"A small percentage would not be out of the question." He said. The children were ecstatic to be acknowledged as members of the gang. Tsubaki whooped and jumped, her brother mimicking her. Murasaki plucked the note from Tsubaki's unresisting fingers. She studied it.

"The twenty-ninth of March. That's two days from now." She told the group. "That means tomorrow is your last full day with us. The next day we will have to put you on the train right after lunch."

"A month sure does go by fast." Zenigata said. There was a bit of a sad resolve there and the kids saw it. Tsubaki slumped and her brother turned to her.

"Tsubaki? Why are you sad?" He asked with the sincerity only a three year old could muster.

"Cause they're leaving, Minoru. They're going back to their home." She told her little brother as tears formed in her eyes. Minoru looked up suddenly at the three men.

"Leaving?" He said then burst into loud uncontrollable tears. Minoru toddled over, arms outstretched and still wailing. He went to Jigen who was closest to him and began to clutch at the sitting man, hands flexing miserably at the air in a wordless plea. In the closest thing to panic anyone in the room had ever seen Jigen, the gunman looked to each adult in the room for some kind of guidance.

"Now now, honey. It's okay." Murasaki cooed and crossed over to Minoru. She tried to pet his hair and shush him but Minoru only seemed to sob louder now that he was being comforted. He refused to let his mother pick him up, twisting and crying harder at any attempt and Jigen's face stretched into a grimace of discomfort and confusion.

"Come on now. Quit it. What ya doing that for? " Jigen tried to appease Minoru but the toddler was not going to have it. Jigen's brows knit and with a look of determination Goemon only ever recognized in him on the battlefield. Jigen pulled the boy into his lap. Minoru hiccuped and cried for a few more moments but Jigen would not be swayed.

"Yeah we're going, sure, but you gotta be a man about it. We'll come back and visit. Hell, we'll do a damn going away party if that's what you want. For the love of mike, kid. I don't know...." He said in a voice both firm and surprisingly kind for being at such a loss. Jigen rocked a bit and patted Minoru's back but did not look at all like he knew what he was doing. Yet, Minoru's tears subsided slowly. Emboldened by his success, he added words soft and encouraging: "No more of that..."

Zenigata looked at Jigen surprised then smiled. "Good job. Didn't know ya had it in ya, huh? " He clapped the marksman on the back in a friendly way. Jigen looked at Zenigata and then across to Goemon, whose mouth was actually hanging open the slightest bit and looked away.

"I didn't know what else to do. Just sort of went with it." He grumbled the explanation as if he had just done something shameful. He did not relinquish his hold on Minoru.

"You know, Jigen, that whole going away party idea actually sounds pretty nice." Murasaki said. She carefully lowered herself to sit. "With the weather so nice and the yard all cleaned we could make a day of it. Have a picnic on the grass. Make you all something real special."

"Sakura mochi?" Tsubaki asked, excited. Murasaki chuckled lightly.

"I know you like my mochi but it's not your going away party." She admonished her daughter kindly.

"That sounds lovely actually." Goemon piped in. He had tried Murasaki's mochi once upon a time and knew from experience that it was very good. He felt his face sting with the beginnings of a blush at his outburst. He pushed on to explain himself. "Quite seasonal, in fact. With spring upon us as it is. Perhaps bamboo shoots and grilled fish as well?"

"Sure, we can check the market tomorrow morning. We can have a bit of a spring festival. How about that?" Murasaki joked. There was something in her voice and the shape of her body language that said she was growing just as excited as her daughter about the whole situation.

"Sounds like a fine plan to me." Zenigata answered. He reached over and gently brushed the hair away from Minoru's face. "That sounds like fun, buddy?"

Minoru looked up at the man with a tear-streaked face. He still looked a bit sad and pouted. "No leave." He said as he nuzzled closer intoJigen's chest.Tsubaki saw the treatment her brother was getting and wailed. It was overdone to the point of comedy but earnest in only the way a child looking for attention could muster.

"I'm sad you're leaving too ya know!"

She flopped onto Goemon's lap dramatically. Goemon tensed in surprise. If he were a cat, his hair would be standing on end. He awkwardly patted Tsubaki's head and muttered a "There, there..." Which sent all the adults into peels of laughter. It was not something that had happened in the near month they had been living together.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning as soon as the breakfast was done Murasaki asked as graciously as possible that the three men watch the children while she went to the market. Zenigata offered to go for her but Murasaki insisted on going. She reasoned that she could do it faster as she knew the market better and insinuated that a little time away from the children would be nice before she was on her own again. 

Ten minutes later, the three men and two children waved Murasaki off as she drove away to the village. As soon as their mother was out of sight Tsubaki and Minoru complained they were bored. Zenigata suggested they all play a game and a wild, dark look spread across Tsubaki's face before she hurried back to her room. Minoru followed as he usually did.

Before Zenigata could stop him, Goemon was already out the door and mumbling something about needing to go train before disappearing as he was often known to do. The two men who were left looked at each for a moment then Jigen bolted for the door. It wasn't Zenigata's first time nabbing the marksman and he hadn't had the advantage of close quarters in the past. He grabbed the other man and pulled him into a headlock. The two bickered for a moment before Tsubaki reappeared in the room with an arm full of homemade weapons.

This caused pause in Jigen. He showed great interest in the little girl's foam dart gun she had constructed from wood and rubber bands. The foam darts that accompanied the guns were made with startling precision as it was a six year old that had constructed them.

Tsubaki suggested a game that was a play on hide and seek but with a shooting element. She would hide and see how many times she could shoot Jigen or Zenigata while they tried to find her and shoot her to count her out. Jigen thought that if Lupin wanted to pass down the name someday, this little girl would make a great Lupin the Fourth.

Though Zenigata protested a bit he eventually conceded and the two men were standing in the yard that abutted the forest with their eyes covered and counting to ten shortly after.

At first, the men were like sitting ducks. Tsubaki was not one to hold back so the two men were taking regular hits with no sign of the little girl. Minoru filled the roll of faithful cheerleader, cheering and jumping up and down each time the two adults took a hit. Oddly enough, Goemon could not continue with his training once the game had begun. He sat himself on the porch to observe.

It took a bit of time but Zenigata and Jigen eventually found their groove together. They watched one another's backs and pointed out when they saw a flash of movement in the underbrush. Back to back, they kept the other safe from foam and paper projectiles. A quick call of "Jigen! On your left!" from Zenigata was all it took to end the round as the marksmen finally landed the target as Tsubaki ran between two trees for cover. The little girl laughed and told the men it was the best fun she had had in forever.

They played many rounds of her aggressive hide and seek style game. Each one forced Jigen and Zenigata to tune into each other until they were working like a finely oiled machine. Tsubaki couldn't get a hit off them then. Once Tsubaki lost interest in the game the group went inside and had a bit of lunch before Minoru fell asleep in Goemon's lap. Though Tsubaki insisted she wasn't tired it was only a matter of minutes before she was also napping on the couch.

When their mother returned with her bags of food for their going away party she laughed and congratulated her house guests on doing the nearly impossible task of getting her children to nap. Zenigata insisted it was nothing really. The fresh air and exercise did most of the work for them. All the same, Murasaki thanked them then excused herself to the kitchen. Seeing that Goemon was watching over the children (although it was a loose interpretation of the concept. Zenigata believed Goemon's meditation had transitioned into a nap of his own, sitting up against the sofa, the children on and close beside him.) He stepped out. Perhaps he could take an afternoon rest himself. Zenigata couldn't remember the last time he had enjoyed the blissful calm of having no schedule like this. He had given most of his time to his morning runs and training with Goemon so there was something special in the air of a lazy afternoon.

Circling the courtyard's porch, heading for his room, Zenigata saw Jigen sitting at the veranda's edge. He had mentioned that he was heading out for a smoke after lunch but Zenigata hadn't noticed when he didn't return. What was peculiar was what he was doing instead. He had removed his coat and rolled his sleeves up. The end of his necktie was tucked in his breast pocket to keep it out of the way. And standing before him was a wooden rocking horse. Zenigata thought he had seen it in the shed with the rest of the nursery furniture but had completely forgotten to return for it. It was not too big, perhaps just the right size for a toddler, but Zenigata had remembered it being dusty and discolored. Nothing a child might like to play with. Now though, Jigen had painted it with the same whitewash they had used on the furniture and it gleamed in the afternoon light. The gunman had the paint bucket between his knees and by the looks of it was halfway through his second coat. True to form, a cigarette smoldered at the corner of his mouth while he worked.

He was so focused on the task at hand he didn't see Zenigata standing there watching him. Zenigata had never seen the look on Jigen's face before. It was something subtle but at peace. Zenigata could find no other word for it. It was strange to think that this was the man who had only twenty-four hours earlier had been at his emotional wit's end. Stranger still, that the two of them had so seamlessly gotten along in Tsubaki's little game earlier. Zenigata paused. He watched Jigen work with a kind of quiet comfort he never thought he'd feel around the other man.

"Hey." He said by way of announcing himself as he continued to walk over. "Looks good."

As if woken from a dream, Jigen looked up at the sound of Zenigata's voice. He didn't seem ashamed for being caught off his guard by the man. His reverie broken, Jigen nodded his head in greeting.

"Hey. Thanks." He replied in a casual way. He went back to dabbing the paint into the joints of the wood but did not brush Zenigata off as the former inspector had come to expect. "Not much. Just something to do with my hands. And Murasaki deserves something for putting up with us, I suppose."

The word came out as _s'pose_ around the cigarette, now burned down to the filter, held between Jigen's teeth. Jigen returned the paintbrush to the bucket and tossed the stub to the flagstones. He crushed it with his shoe and reached into his back pocket at once for his pack and lighter in the fluid ritual of chain smokers everywhere. He pulled a fresh smoke from the pack with his teeth then offered the pack to Zenigata. He lowered it a bit after a moment's thought.

"Ah. Ya don't anymore, huh? Forgot." Another pause for thought and then "D'ya mind if I..."

The phrase was the most conversational Zenigata had ever gotten out of Jigen. For the first time he was just the ever relaxed, passive guy Zenigata often heard Lupin describe him to be. Zenigata had never had the pleasure of talking to this Jigen before.

"Naw. Go on. Lupin smokes around me." He said as he sat next to Jigen. "Still want 'em sometimes but I remind myself that I'm an old man and if I'm gonna keep up with this lot I gotta cut something out." He smirked and leaned back on his forearms. It was peaceful here. A nice life for some but not for him. Zenigata didn't realize he needed the excitement until now. Jigen lit up and scoffed in amusement.

"Setting yourself up for the long haul, huh? Not my style but do what ya gotta. I figure a bullet'll catch me long before cancer does. No point in holding back." He replied. It was not said with any malice behind it, only blunt humor.

"A bullet don't always kill. I got some damn ugly scars that prove that. How many bullets have you taken and you're still here? "Zenigata said still looking out into the scenery but smiling softly. Then his brow crinkled and a somber look overtook him. "Guess that's wrong though. I died on the table. Was just a few minutes but I was technically dead."

Jigen was going to try to answer Zenigata's question to the best of his ability (and even that would have been a rough estimation due to sheer volume) but the rest of his thought gave Jigen pause.

"Back in DC?" He asked like it was for clarification but he knew well that's what Zenigata had to have meant.

"Yeah. Was a goner for three minutes I was told." Zenigata answered. It felt weird to talk about his own death but it was freeing too. Now that he thought of it he never did feel the same after. Maybe you didn't really live through something like that. It caused you to be a different person.

"Damn." Was Jigen's only reply. Best not to belabor a sensitive subject. He picked the paintbrush back up and returned to dabbing white paint along the horse's neck. Silence held but it was as close to comfortable as the pair had ever been before. Jigen chuckled. "You were something this morning. With the kid. She's a little sniper and you managed to keep eyes on her pretty well."

Zenigata shook his head with a chuckle. "I could pick any of you guys out of a crowd of thousands. One little girl wasn't that hard to keep track of." The heavy mood lifted a bit and Zenigata sat up to better look at Jigen. "I still think my aim could improve. And my speed maybe. You still ain't willing to help me?"

"Why should I?" In different circumstances, the words might have sounded like an insult. In Jigen's calm baritone however, it felt like a genuine question. He couldn't fault Zenigata for being right. Lupin would always best him in the end, but Zenigata was no slouch when it came to seeing through the gang's trickery and had nabbed them quite a few times. Jigen had the wrinkles in his collar to prove it. "You're a perfectly average shot. It's all you need to be. Shooting a gun worth a damn's fine but it ain't the end all be all."

"But I gotta be good at something! Or at least better at it." Zenigata tried to explain as best as he could. "I need to help the team and right now I'm not good at anything."

Jigen stopped everything he was doing and looked out across the courtyard, clearly steeling himself. He put down his paintbrush, turned to Zenigata and tilted his hat back to fully look at him. His expression was no-nonsense and Zenigata didn't know if it was because he was unused to seeing Jigen's eyes but he felt a little pinned down by them. His eyebrows were drawn down but there was an earnest kind of zeal in his eyes that was both tough and kind.

"I've seen you send men ten feet tall running home to their mamas. You've jumped out of planes, run through damn fire and that was when you worked for the law. Now you're free and you think there's a magic trick to being worth something?" He said in a mix of exasperation and a flattened kind of incredulity. Zenigata felt like he was being scolded. Long lashed eyes blinked in surprise.

"I mean..... That was different. That was my job. That was to catch Lupin." he said as if he was trying to puzzle this all out himself.

"Bull. Doesn't matter who or what ya did it for. Ya still did it. And you should be proud." Jigen continued on in that firm tone. There was a compliment wrapped up in all that but the delivery muddled it. Zenigata was used to Lupin heaping praise on him. So used to it that it would slide off him like water off a duck's back. Of course Lupin thought so much of him. That's what husbands did. To hear it from Jigen, the man he had just recently brokered a truce with, was a bit dumbfounding.

"Proud? But I wasn't even thinking when I did all those things. They didn't take any effort cause it was needed to get the job done. Not really something to be proud of."

Jigen took a long drag off his cigarette and looked off across the courtyard. The sun was starting to sink low and sunset would be on them soon. Jigen did not lower his hat from the rays but looked beyond them towards the horizon.

"Maybe it's time to stop thinking then." He said softly. It was rough but simple. A kind of road weary piece of Taoist wisdom that Goemon might have commended if he were present.

Zenigata was the first to look away. Those simple words had completely changed the way he saw the world. He HAD jumped out of helicopters. He HAD traveled the world. He had done things other people had only dreamed of. How could he doubt himself now? He was overthinking because in his old life he didn't have to think. He knew the goal was Lupin and that's all that mattered. Now his goals had just shifted.

"I-I can do that." He heard himself say. Jigen continued to look out over the rooftop and towards the steadily dropping sun. He enjoyed the way the undersides of the clouds were just beginning to glow with golden light like toasting marshmallows. He brought his hat back down to shade his eyes.

"Sure ya can. It's all gotta come down to...what do you call it? A cop's instincts or whatever?" He agreed. His cigarette was nearly down to the filter so Jigen took another long draw to kill it. He dropped the butt to the flagstones and screwed it down with his toe. He opened his mouth and along with the exhalation of smoke came a little laugh like a rusty gate. "I ain't worried. We got a gun. We got a sword," Jigen nodded back in the direction of the living room where Goemon slept "And now we got you. Whatever that is."

"Yeah... you do." Zenigata answered softly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the earring he'd been carrying for the last month. It sparkled in the early evening sunlight but now it was beginning to mean something so different.

Every time he had looked at it before now Zenigata had thought about this earring in the sense that it was half of a pair but now he remembered the pair had been auctioned separately. Their origins had started separately. They had been cut the same way and their fastenings had matched as though their creator had meant them to come together as a set but at auction many had bid. Even after one was sold to the highest bidder people wanted the other stone. It was only through the prosperity of their owner that they now belonged to each other. Apollo and Artemis becoming Memories of Autumn Leaves.

Once again he saw the correlation between Lupin and himself. Together they were so much more but they were still worth more than anyone could have thought when they started out as raw ore. Zenigata was his own man. He had his own talents and those had worth. A blue diamond wasn't a sapphire and nothing you could do would change that. It was special for its own reasons. Zenigata tucked the earing back into his pocket.

"Hey Jigen." He said after a moment. He didn't turn to look at the other man. Jigen had gone back to inspecting the rocking horse for any spots he may have missed while painting. He turned his head in Zenigata's direction.

"Yeah?"

It was then that Zenigata turned to look at the marksman. The look on his face was one that Jigen had seen before. It was one that Zenigata wore when he had figured out Lupin's next step and was standing there waiting for the gang with handcuffs in hand. "I need a favor. I promise it has nothing to do with shooting."

That look usually meant trouble; trouble for him and Lupin specifically. Jigen had trained himself to be worried by that look. It reminded Jigen of a time he had spent a stretch laying low outside of Wichita. It had been tornado season and one had gone right over the little house he was flopping in. A full day before the forecast predicted it would hit him, Jigen could stand out on the abandoned highway and look along the great flat expanse out into the horizon and see its shape, small but distinct. By all rights, Jigen should have been frightened by it. He should have packed up and hit the road. Though there was something in how it was there, so far away it might as well have been a mirage and yet growing stronger every minute. It made Jigen's pulse race and he knew he had to see it through to the end.

The determination in Zenigata's eyes did that to Jigen now. Call it self-destructive but the look that had once caused Jigen such distress now made him look forward to the adventure that was surely coming. On the horizon. Like a twister.

"You name it, Pops." Jigen smiled. Zenigata sling an arm around Jigen's shoulders in outright show of comradery.

"Let me tell you about a quaint little police station I see every day when I go for my run."

  
What had followed had been an errand wonderfully bizarre in concept and absolutely slapdash in execution. Yet Jigen pulled it off without a hitch and with a surprising amount of enjoyment. Jigen didn't get to pull off such pure simple jobs like this often and it felt refreshing in its way. The look on Zenigata's face when Jigen returned with his prize had been almost as good.

By the time Jigen had come back, dinner was just about ready. Murasaki with help from the children had set out a large blanket and laid it out with a spread that had set his mouth to watering. Ikanaku over rice and boiled bamboo shoots. There was a Ayu sweet fish, grilled and accompanied by high piles of thinly shredded cabbage. Rounding it out was a large bowl of early season strawberries and the little pink bundles wrapped in leaves that Jigen presumed to be Murasaki's famous sakura mochi. The group ate, enjoying the crisp clean air and the glow of sunset. The whole house somehow felt more alive now than it had been for the last few weeks.

When they were finished, Goemon suggested that perhaps with the daylight waning and the weather still so agreeable they continue to enjoy it with a bonfire. Bolstered by the enthusiastic response of Tsubaki and Minoru, he at once set about assembling the bamboo and brush he had felled the day before and had a cozy fire lit just as the sun winked away under the hills. With their bellies full and their last day together nearly behind him, the group all relaxed into an easy-going mood. Snippets of mild conversation came and went but mostly everyone was content to watch the fire lick up into the chilly air and sit in companionable silence. Jigen slouched on the blanket with his arms tucked up on the edge of the porch behind him. If he was honest, it was the most at ease he had felt in the last six months. He thought of how this time tomorrow they would be on a train to Osaka. He thought of the heist. He thought of Lupin and all they would have to say to each other. He could tell all three of them were thinking of the same thing. 

"You ready for this?" He asked Zenigata who was at his side, in his low unruffled way. He did not look away from the fire. With a little smile, Zenigata nodded his head. That question would have filled him with untold dread a month ago. Not now though. 

"Don't have much choice in the matter but I think I am ready now."

"Then you will persevere." Goemon assured him. The samurai credited a strong will amongst the keys to success and he had watched Zenigata's resolve take on an iron toughness in the last few weeks.

"Yes we will." Zenigata said as he looked between the two men.

Murasaki looked up from where she was sitting by the fire, a half-asleep Minoru in her lap. She smiled at the three men as she pulled out her phone.

"This is an important occasion." She said before snapping as a picture of them. Jigen started and sat up. Goemon blushed but retained his stoic expression. Neither of them had been prepared to have such a moment of camaraderie acknowledged.

"Ya really gotta do that? What are you talking about? Not like I was ready even!" Jigen blustered and crammed his hat down lower on his head. Murasaki let out a delighted laugh.

"It's so nice to see you getting along though. Never would have believed it a month ago."

Zenigata gave a sheepish smile. "I suppose you're right. But you could warn a guy first. Hey! Are you even listening to me?"

The woman smiled as she looked up at Zenigata from her phone. "Sorry. Lupin asked me to send him a picture when you guys started getting along."

"W-what?" Zenigata asked with a surprised look on his face. Both Jigen and Goemon choked and looked abashed. Jigen rolled away from the fire and laid on his side to protect himself from any other unwanted photos.

"Smug bastard..." He grumbled. Murasaki could not help the second peal of laughter that burst from her and Zenigata couldn't help but join her.

  
The next day after a meal of yesterday's leftovers, the three men dressed in the clothes Lupin had sent them and stood in the doorway of the Suminawa home, ready to depart. The children, of course, pouted and protested, Minoru blubbering in his mother's arms. Tsubaki hugged them each around the legs and each man patted her back or brushed their hand along her hair in a gesture of affection. None of them could answer her insistent questions about when they would be back to visit but Zenigata reminded her that Murasaki had Lupin's phone number and they would have to stay in contact with the Lupin Gang's junior members which lifted Tsubaki's spirits considerably. Zenigata also made a mental note to ask Murasaki for their birthdays so he could send them gifts. Christmas just wouldn't be enough.

Murasaki offered to walk with them to the train station but the group graciously declined. She had enough to worry about and they didn't want a pregnant woman going across town on their account. She thanked them and said her goodbyes before watching them make there way down the road and out of sight. Three men dressed in her husband's finest works. She stepped back inside, her children close by and strangely, the house felt larger now. There was a pang of funny sadness in her heart that she didn't show outwardly as her children had and Murasaki found herself wandering room to room after she put down Minoru for his afternoon nap and Tsubaki had hurried off to tinker with her latest projects. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for but she was compelled. She stopped when she reached the nursery. Her heart swelled and she unconsciously put her hand to the swell of her stomach. Sitting in the middle of the room was the rocking horse her grandfather had built for her when she was a baby. And it had been beautifully painted.

  
The train ride to Osaka was long and quiet but not uncomfortable. They took the time to reflect and prepare although none of them could say they knew exactly what lay ahead. It was well past dark by the time they arrived in Osaka. Zenigata watched the train pass by Osaka castle, rising high above the cherry trees and glowing in the streetlights. He was warmed to see a few early buds coming to life on their branches. They were fresh living flowers in another of the world's most famous gardens. Another sight he now could see with fresh eyes thanks to Lupin. It only made his anticipation to see his husband grow.

They left the train station and quickly but quietly made their way toward the convention center. They stood across the street in the mouth of an alleyway when they reached it. The building jutted up into the skyline and the group had to crane there necks to see to the top.

"This is the place?" Goemon asked.

"Should be." Jigen checked his wristwatch. "And it's almost midnight. Lupin should be here by now."

"He already is." The trio turned when they heard the voice behind them. It bounced off the concrete walls but still maintained a sophisticated manner that the men would know anywhere. Lupin cast an unmistakable silhouette in the rectangle of light at the end of the alley. He was leaning rakishly against one wall, arms and ankle crossed. In the sparse light, his smile could still be made out.

"Always gotta make an entrance huh, you showboat" Zenigata said with a smile. As much as he wanted to run into his husband's arms he knew he was on the job now. There would be plenty of time for that later. Zenigata's voice sent tremors through Lupin he hadn't felt so strongly perhaps since Venice; love and longing. But he figured if Zenigata was playing it cool he should do the same.

"Come on now. I wouldn't be any fun if I didn't." He reasoned. Lupin pushed himself off the wall and approached his men. He addressed Jigen and Goemon with a raised hand. "Hiya, gentlemen. How's tricks?"

"Hey boss." Jigen returned with muted warmth.

"About to get trickier now that you're here, I presume." Goemon replied smartly. The samurai's moments of quick wit, though sparse, never failed to tickle Lupin.

"Sure are." He agreed with a grin.

"At least we're looking out best thanks to you." Zenigata tossed Lupin a little smirk. Yeah, he was flirting a bit. But who could blame him? He hadn't seen his husband in a whole month. "You're looking pretty damn good yourself." It was hard to focus on the job with the love of his life standing so close.

Lupin preened a little, tugging at the lapels of his jacket.

"What, this old thing? Just a little something Suminawa had laying around." He explained. Now that he mentioned it, Zenigata could see the fabric of Lupin's coat had a soft sheen to it. It was lustrous and new, its dark blue hue an inkblot in the orange street light.

"He took Murasaki's family name?" Zenigata wondered aloud when he connected the dots. It wasn't unheard of for a man to join his wife's family in this day and age, even in Japan, but it was still rare.

"Why wouldn't he? She's quite a lady." Jigen noted.

"Agreed." Goemon said and Zenigata noted that it was the first time Goemon had spoken about Murasaki without blushing.

"This kids are pretty great too. Glad to know the Junior Lupin Gang is off to a good start." Zenigata chuckled and smiled at Jigen and Goemon in a knowing way.

"Junior Lupin Gang?" Lupin repeated and gave Zenigata a sportive look completely with a devilishly quirked eyebrow. "Sounds like you guys have been busy." 

He didn't wait for a further explanation and moved past the men to the mouth of the alley. He peered out at the convention center like a kid about to run onto a playground then looked back at the others.

"Shall we then? From the top?" He asked. It was the kind of question that Lupin had a talent for asking in a way that inexplicably filled Goemon and Jigen with an excited determination that bordered on addictive. A subtle promise of Intrigue and adventure strewn with riches and rubies on top like cherries on an ice cream sundae. Lupin need say no more and they would jump to the occasion. Zenigata nodded his head seriously but he was still smiling.

"Take two." 

And with that, he led the way into the building.

Once inside the main lobby of the convention center, by way of some convenient air ducts, Zenigata turned to Lupin with a serious business-like air. "Are they still displaying Artemis without Apollo in the main showroom?"

"Nope, can't very well have any of that Memories of Autumn Leaves stuff with only one half of the pair." Lupin replied. He scanned the lobby then moved toward the elevator when he found it. "They're saving face by keeping security standard for the show. Guards and cameras in the main showroom. But that doesn't mean they've given up on their little high tech baby. It's down in the basement, watching over the excess storage. Including our girl, Artemis. Seems they've got something to prove."

Zenigata chuckled. "Pretty ballsy of them to think the same system can stop us this time. We better keep our eyes peeled for anything they might have changed."

Goemon nodded. "They will not treat us as fools with the same tricks."

"That's right." Zenigata said. "Lead the way to the basement, Lupin."

The thief did as he was told and when the doors opened on the elevator, the group found themselves at the end of a long hall, made of white-painted cinder blocks and lit with buzzing fluorescent fixtures. They all hurried after Lupin to the heavy double doors at the end of the hall. Lupin and Jigen pulled them open. All eyes went straight up this time and found what they knew would be waiting. The automated cage system hung suspended above the room, casting the room in its dim golden chandelier glow. The cage walls on their own robotic arms were locked into place creating that dizzying upside down maze effect. Each arm's little laser eye was dark as if in sleep. Looking down, they saw the low grid of red security lasers blanketing the floor and in the room's center was a pedestal with an opaque case on top of it.

Zenigata nodded as he assessed the situation. "You still got that little contraption of yours, Lupin?"

Lupin was already pulling the coil of reflective metal out of his coat. He placed it in the ground, released the pin and the stretching arms of metal unfurled into the room with sounds like vaudeville thunder sheets. The laser grid was reflected upon itself leaving a four foot wide space for the gang to walk through. Lupin bowed slightly with one arm outstretched in invitation for his friends. Jigen huffed a single breath of laughter and took his gun from its place in his belt before stepping in. Goemon followed suit, his hand on Zantetsuken.

"You look real nice, by the way. Mighty fine." Lupin said softly to Zenigata before the man could enter the large storage room. "It a great suit. You wear it well."

"Well, you picked it out. You always knew what I'd look good in." Zenigata smiled at his husband and gave him an appreciative once over, letting his husband see the way his eyes lingered on him without being too overt. He took his husband's hand in his and pulled him a bit closer before placing a soft sweet kiss on his lips. After a month away from each other, he could feel the sexual tension between them along with the yearning and love for one another. "For now let's focus on the job. Plenty of time to get reacquainted later." He tossed his lover a wink and a smirk as he let go of Lupin's hand and headed into the room. Lupin's eyes followed after Zenigata and he smiled with a gooey lovesick sentiment.

"You tease." He joked. He let Zenigata get a little ahead of him then entered the room. Goemon and Jigen were already waiting at the room's center. They looked from the latched and secured travel case on its perch to Lupin and Zenigata then back again. Goemon took a deep meditative breath in, crouching and when he exhaled in a short hard rush, Zantetsuken had struck. The case split open in two and while one half fell off the pedestal and into Jigen's waiting arms the other remaining upright. The bisected case revealed a cross-section of metal latches, plastic casing and black foam. Two custom impressions had been cut into the foam, one empty and the other housing a perfectly tear drop shaped pink diamond earring.

Zenigata stepped up to the travel case. He paused as he said goodbye to his past. Then they turned to Jigen and gave him an appreciative nod before turning and doing the same to Goemon. There was no hesitation then as he reached out and gently pulled the earring from its cozy place. He held it up in the dim light while reaching into his inner jacket pocket with the other hand. The blue diamond earring joined its pair in that big room.

"Back together again." Zenigata said before looking at his husband.

"How's it feel?" Lupin asked, proudly.

"Feel like a real thief?" Jigen added. Zenigata brought both the earings down and held them in the palms of his hands. He looked at them with fondness.

"I feel like this is the beginning of a new life. I'm a thief. I'm a criminal. And I'm part of this team now."

"Well done." Goemon said. Lupin watch the trio before him a moment, taking in the unmistakable pride they were sharing. He convulsed as a laugh shook him. It bubbled out of his mouth and grew to a howl, raucous and ecstatic. He slapped a hand over his eyes and held his stomach, laughing all the way.

"This is great! I knew it! It was just crazy enough to work!" He was wheezing by now but it did nothing to hide his triumphant cheer. Zenigata tucked the earings into his jacket pocket and gave him a quizzical look.

"What are you talking about, Lupin? Of course it worked. It would have worked last time of it hadn't been for the sensor hidden in the display case. Not much different than what we did last time."

Lupin was still laughing, but he has peaked through the hardest of it and was coming down. He took a few steps away from the room's center.

"There was never a sensor in the display case!" He hiccuped a bit as he got himself under control. Zenigata's thick eyebrows shot up and he blinked in surprise.

"Lupin! You sound crazy! Of course, there was a sensor. What else could have set off the security system last time?"

Lupin looked at Zenigata and the former inspector recognized that puckish danger that crept out of Lupin when the chase was one.

"I did." He said that with a matter of fact grace. He offered a cheery grin. "And I'm going to do it again."

With that, Lupin kicked one of the long arms of the reflector. It wobbled and flipped, the whole contraption snapping back in on itself and flying up into the air. Lupin snapped it up in his fist and smartly turned heel and ran. With nothing to block the infrared sensors they surged across the ankles of the men and then the golden lights of the cage system began to shift to angry red. The alarm began to blat angrily and the whirring grinding noise of the grates coming to life added to the cacophony.

"Lupin! What the hell?!" Jigen cried, aghast.

"Let's see how you work together, boys!" Lupin called over his shoulder. He was out of the room and standing in the doorway in a flash.

"Lupin!!!" Zenigata hollard but his tirade was cut short as many little red dots accumulated all over him and a cage wall begs to drop. He jumped out of the way before lookup at the security system. "Jigen! On your left!" He called.

Jigen swerved to the right and rolled away from an encroaching grate. He squeezed off a shot before he hit the ground and hit the eye on the grate's mechanical arm. It sparkled and sputtered. The arm twisted and waved blindly before retracting back to the system's core body. Jigen scrambled to his feet.

"Good eye, Pops!" He called above the machine's din. More red pinpoints came in to replace the first and Jigen darted away in an attempt to keep them moving while he got a bead on a new target. With a loud clang, another wall slammed down from the ceiling. Zenigata used quick footwork to avoid it and the next wall. He dodged and weaved with a speed and precision he hadn't had a few weeks ago.

"We gotta take down those eyes. They ain't gonna let us through at this point!" he yelled to the other men as he wove his way through the room.

Reaching into his coat, Zenigata found what he had been looking for. Lupin had worked in several hidden pockets into the suit jacket's design. A pair of handcuffs emerged from his pocket. Tied at the middle was a slim filament a bit thicker than fishing wire. Skidding to a stop he threw the cuffs and they wrapped around the bar of one of the cages that was about fall. "Goemon, heads up!" he yelled as he yanked with all his might. The cage door shifted and one side fell off the pulley system. It landed on the floor at an odd angle before falling and clearing a path for the samurai. Goemon sprung into action, dodging and bobbing left to right and then straight for Zenigata. He sprung toward the man.

"Now, Zenigata!" He called. Zenigata planted his feet and bent his knees, His fingers laced together and held low so Goemon could step in.

With such perfect timing, Goemon could not miss a beat when he leaped forward and used Zenigata's hands as a place to launch off. Zenigata heaved upwards and Goemon went sailing up into the air. Propelled by such a throw, Goemon almost reached the height of the ceiling. Red eyes trained on him and cage walls spun on their ball joints to close in on him in midair. Goemon drew Zantetsuken and slashed once, twice and by the time gravity was pulling him down through his arc, half a dozen of the arms' sensor eyes were popping and sparking. Those sections of grating pulled back as well. Goemon landed with masterful poise and, sparing only a look back over his shoulder and a grateful nod to Zenigata, raced back into the fray.

As they ran Zenigata was able to see the slight shake of the gratings before they would fall into place. That way he could warn the others as they ran. "Go left! Left! Now back off, it's l coming down." He yelled as they went.

There were still too many of those eyes on them and Zenigata paused to remove another set of cuffs on a line. He threw them and pulled down one set before hitting a release trigger and aiming for the next. Little Tsubaki had been more than happy to help them out with this little design after Jigen had cleaned out the police station of all its handcuffs.

Three more eyes were yanked from the main control unit before Zenigata turned to run again.

Lupin watched from the doorway and he was astounded. He had expected some improvement from Zenigata. The man was known to come back swinging when faced with a defeat and Lupin had been counting on that. But it was astounding to see just how far he had truly come. Zenigata was darting across the room with a grace and confidence that bordered on artistry. Set after set of handcuffs came flying from his coat, sailing through the air to smash into the metal and glass of searching red eyes. Not only that but Zenigata was working with Jigen and Goemon like a well-oiled machine. Lupin was stunned. They were using their skills and communication to disable and avoid the security system with relative ease. In fact, if Lupin hadn't known any better, he'd think the trio was actually having fun. Lupin saw Zenigata lasso one of the grates with his roped handcuffs and wrench it aside before a cage could fully close around Jigen.

"Best the Gifu prefectural police department has to offer!" Jigen cheered as Zenigata swung the rope above his head with all the finesse of a silver screen cowboy. Lupin felt a swelling of love and pride not only for Zenigata but all the members of his new team. He watched on with eagerness. Zenigata laughed.

"Damn right!" He called as he hit the release on the cuffs. "Alright, boys we're in the home stretch now." With that, he took off for the door with Goemon and Jigen close behind.

With most of the eyes disabled it was easy for the men to avoid any obstacles. They saw the door was within reach but one rouge eye finally laid its red gaze on them. The clank and shudder of one of the grates right in front of the hallway door echoed in the room. Zenigata shot forward using the speed he had gained in his new life and made it in time to catch the grate as it came down. His legs buckled momentarily but Zenigata righted himself and took on the hefty grate. He held it up off the ground with enough room to crawl beneath. Jigen and Goemon couldn't believe what they were seeing at first. The two men stopped in their tracks and stared.

"Go on! Go through!" Zenigata said through gritted teeth. His knees nearly buckled again. Those words spurred the men to action and the slipped underneath to the safety of the hallway. Once Zenigata saw his two men were safe he took a deep breath before bracing his feet once more and hoisting the grate over his head. Jigen, Goemon and Lupin had all at once surged over to try and help Zenigata lift the grate but the tremendous show of strength caused them all to jump back in shock. Lupin and Jigen toppled over each other. Goemon only staggered to a knee. Zenigata stepped through the door and let the grate slam down behind him. He collapsed onto his backside then, breathing hard but smiling brightly at the three men.

The whole group stared at Zenigata and his million-watt smile for a beat and then Lupin was leaping into Zenigata's arms and Jigen was crawling over to clap his hand hard on Zenigata's back. Goemon rushed over to offer to pull the man to his feet and Zenigata had never seen the samurai smile so widely. All of them were laughing hard and whooping in triumph.

"That was amazing! You're amazing!" Lupin cried.

"What a goddamn machine!" Jigen agreed.

"A fine pupil." Goemon said proudly. Zenigata hugged Lupin to him tight before taking Goemon's hand and pulling himself to his feet. His legs shook for a moment but eventually he got his feet under him. He leaned against Lupin as he stood both out of necessity and the closeness.

"My back is gonna hate me in the morning." He said jokingly. The blare of sirens cut through the quiet of the hall. "Looks like we better make a break for it. You were in charge of this, Lupin. You got a safe house around here someplace?"

"No, but I know the cutest little place in Tokyo. I'm driving!" He replied. He squeezed Zenigata a moment longer and then he was off, legs pumping. The other men hurried after him without question.

There was a nondescript black sedan waiting out front that Lupin had procured for the evening's events. He laughed that it had no style but would do to get them to the train station. They all piled in and tore off into the night. Lupin drove with alacrity and exhilarating speed through the streets, fishtailing through switchbacks and up hills to flee the city. The whole way, they laughed and joked and cheered Zenigata for his work.

They abandoned the car in the train station parking lot and jumped on the bullet train minutes before it pulled out and sped in the direction of Tokyo. They had done it and with nary a search on them. The men were so high on the adrenaline and excitement no one mentioned Lupin's bizarre dangerous choice to trip the alarm. The thief was glad for that. He had had his reasons and would explain them but for the moment it was just so refreshing to see despite all their differences, the three most important people in his life, at their core, getting along. They talked and laughed until one by one, exhausted by the rush of victory and rocked by the solid hum of the train's motions, Jigen Goemon and Zenigata each fell asleep. Lupin sat up, occasionally looking across the cabin at his companions or to Zenigata in the seat beside him. Each time he did, a new swell of quiet but proud love greeted him.

It was late by the time they reached Tokyo. The Fiat, freshly waxed and looking like a dream was parked at the train station, waiting for them. A short drive later and they were back in their apartment.

"Home sweet home..." Lupin said mildly. While none of them had a home per se, Jigen was extremely happy to be back. As informative as his month in the country had been, Jigen was a man who would always crave an urban landscape after too long.

"What time is it?" He asked. Lupin checked his watch.

"Just past one." Lupin informed him. Jigen cracked his neck and groaned an appreciative chuckle at the release of pressure.

"Haven't missed last call." He suggested. He felt energized after his rest and needed to get back out into the world again. He didn't usually like to tolerate crowds but in comparison to isolation in the countryside, Tokyo's push and bustle which would still be at its peak at this hour was calling to him.

"That sounds like a great idea. We deserve it after the last month." Zenigata chuckled as he wound an arm around Lupin's waist. "Lupin, you wouldn't believe the time we've had. But I guess it all worked out on the end, huh fellas." he smiled at his new compatriots.

It felt good to be back with Lupin again but it didn't feel like he was put back together after being separated from his other half. It didn't feel like it had in the hotel rooms as they snuck around for years. This felt like coming home. A place of comfort and rest that you could leave for a bit and know it would still be there waiting for you. It was at that moment that Zenigata realized how tenuous their bond had been. No wonder they clung to each other so tightly after being separated. Now their bond had deepened. Zenigata didn't need Lupin. He chose him. And Lupin had chosen him in return.

"Surely." Goemon agreed. He looked at Zenigata with what was mostly his usual enigmatic air, but there was definite pride in his body language. He looked back at Jigen. "I am suddenly quite thirsty myself."

"Sure, sure and you know what? I have a surprise for just this special occasion." Lupin squeezed Zenigata a bit more tightly around the waist before pulling away and striding down the hall. He returned from his bedroom with an envelope which he opened up. Inside was a startlingly thick stack of yen. He fanned the contents out a bit for show.

"Woah, where'd you manage to scrounge up this?" Jigen asked. They had been tight on money before Gifu and with no successful jobs to speak of, this kind of cash was unreal. Lupin grinned.

"Managed to work a pretty sweet advance out of the guy who's fencing the Memories Of Autumn Leaves for us. I assure you there is much much more where that came from, Jigen my man!" Lupin was naturally beaming. He pulled out a few of the bills and placed them in Jigen's hand. Then he snaked his arm around Zenigata's shoulder and waved Jigen and Goemon away. He giggled in a lecherous way and eyed his husband. "So you two go have a ball. Me and the misses here are going to get reacquainted."

Zenigata rolled his eyes at being called "The misses" but couldn't fault Lupin in wanting to be alone. Still, that cavalier attitude was setting off alarm bells. He looked at his husband a bit suspiciously. "You don't wanna hear about what we were up to for the last month? You aren't curious at all?"

"Sure thing, darling but later. How much could have happened really? You watched the grass grow, ate some mochi, slept in most days I bet. Fine country living. We can all have a little round table at breakfast tomorrow." Lupin tutted. He had been made anxious by Zenigata's brief kiss back at the convention center and he had his eyes on the prize now.

"Mochi?" Zenigata was in full inspector mode now. He turned fully to his husband and looked him over. "How did you know we ate mochi? In fact, you've been acting suspicious since we met up. What was that stunt you pulled back at the convention center? What are you hiding, Lupin?" this would have been the moment he slammed his hands down on the table in the interrogation room but since circumstances were somewhat different he settled for crossing his arms over his chest.

Lupin went suddenly rigid and took an instinctive step back.

"I'm not hiding anything!" He said a bit too quickly. His hands were already up in a placating manner and his gaze darted to and fro. Jigen was there to step in and fill the space.

"No, he's right. Something is up and you are gonna tell us." He warned. Goemon glared at Lupin from just behind Jigen's shoulder. Lupin laughed nervously. He should have known things would go sideways when he was in a room with three men who knew when he was lying. He scrambled to fix things.

"It's no big deal. Nothing really. I just...called a couple of times. Checked in on you guys. Asked Murasaki to keep her eyes open for me. Tell me what you were all up to..." He explained weakly.

"You made her your spy?" Goemon said gravely. He was clearly not amused.

"You make it sound so devious when you put it that way." Lupin defended.

"In fact," Zenigata continued as he moved in on Lupin. "You set the whole safe house up. And you said something weird at the convention center too."

"Something weird? I didn't say anything weird!" Lupin's response was kneejerk and made him look all the more guilty. He continued to back away as if he could step out from under the scrutiny of the three pairs of eyes. His companions continued to close in on him.

"Yeah. He's right." Jigen said tilting his head back so he could better look at Lupin. "You said there were never any sensors and that Pops didn't set them off the first time."

"And then you set off the alarm." Goemon finished Jigen's thought. The tone of his voice was almost as scary as seeing the samurai reach for his sword.

"Time to come clean, Lupin." Zenigata said looking down at his husband. Lupin made a final push at innocence.

"Come on! You guys are all just out of it after a month outta work!" He accused. It was a little too defensive and when Goemon backed Lupin up the bar separating the kitchen from the main room and held his blade to the man's throat, Lupin recanted. "Okay, alright, mercy!"

Goemon pulled away, his threat made and satisfied with the outcome. Sometimes Lupin was thick enough to require such a firm hand.

"Speak." He instructed. Lupin let out a strangled laugh and nodded, indicating he was just getting to that.

"So, you know how Pops was having problems with the whole thief thing? I knew he had it in him to do great. And you did, darling! You really pulled it out of the bag!" Lupin began but derailed himself to seize the opportunity to flatter his angry husband. Zenigata just raised an eyebrow.

"Cut the crap Lupin and get to the explaining."

Lupin cleared his throat. There was no escape it seemed. He pushed on.

"So I got to thinking, you know, like I do sometimes-"

"We know." Jigen grumbled.

" -and I just knew if you guys gave Pops a chance, he could really be something. But none of you guys wouldn't give each other the time of day in a million years if I was around. So..." Lupin hesitated here but not for long when scrutinized too closely on all sides. He hurried through his explanation. "I set the whole thing up. I tripped the alarm the first time and I let the cage catch me. Sent you out to the country where you HAD to be around each other. I knew if Zenigata had his back against a wall and didn't have me to rely on, he'd turn to the only other two thieves he knew to learn the ropes!"

"You manipulated us. Shameful." Goemon scolded. Lupin held his hands out, begging.

"But it worked, didn't it?! I haven't seen you guys at the top of your game like that in forever! I just wanted you all to get along!" He reasoned.

"By ditching us for a month?!" Jigen shouted.

"That was a real cheap shot." Zenigata said glaring at his husband. "Your little team building trip put a lot of people at an inconvenience with no way of making it better."

"You knew how sensitive I would be to returning to Murasaki." Goemon added. He was exuding an air of danger that Lupin swore was lowering the temperature in the room by ten degrees.

"Murasaki was happy to help! I'm going to send her a cut! She could put all three of her kids through college with that money! How's that for no way of making it better?" Lupin was floundering but still hopeful be could win the others over. Zenigata shook his head in a disappointed way. His brow was crinkled in consternation.

"Murasaki may have been in on this but we weren't. You lied to us but we're supposed to be part of the team. That's the worst part of all this."

Jigen looked over at Zenigata. "Speak for yourself, Pops. " he then turned to look at Lupin and seized a handful of the thief's shirt. "You stranded us in the sticks for a month. A whole month, you little brat. You knew we'd be stuck out there without a single thing to do or a place to get a decent pack of smokes for a whole month!"

"Guys, guys! You gotta understand! If I didn't step in you'd be out of sync forever! Like you would have agreed to it another way! I had to leave you where you'd have to finally get to know each other. You needed time! If I had botched the first job and we all just skipped down the road to Yokohama or Kofu or something, you wouldn't be where you are now!" Lupin explained quickly. Jigen waited a murderous beat before he spoke.

"Wait. Yokohama?" Jigen released Lupin with a bit of a shove and stared him down. "The tour went to Yokohama? And Kofu?"

"Oh no." Lupin said over him. He slapped a hand over his eyes. He had slipped up and said too much.

"You said they weren't going to be another chance to snag the Artemis until Osaka. You lied about that too?!" Jigen thundered.

"I'm sorry! I really am!" Lupin slapped his hands together. The envelope of money gave a thick PAP sound between them.

"Doubtful. You should be ashamed." Goemon snapped.

"I admit they pushed through with the tours and we might have had a chance or two before Osaka. But Pops wasn't ready and I figured a little bit of that last chance stuff might work as motivation. And, you know, it all worked out in the end! That's what's important, right?" Lupin pleaded. He often lived by the credo that it was best to beg forgiveness than ask for permission. At this exact moment, he was dead wrong. Zenigata looked at his husband with a certain darkness in his eyes.

"Looks like you're gonna have to make it up to us now. You know how you're gonna do that, Lupin?" He reached into his coat in a way that sent a certain gravity to his words. Lupin swallowed hard. He was suddenly reminded of his role-play session where he played the submissive underling to Zenigata's big bad gagster and for a delirious moment, he was afraid Zenigata was going to pull out a butcher's knife and demand Lupin chop off a pinky.

"Huh-how's that?" He all but squeaked. A nervous smile, thin with hopes of assuaging his husband, dribbled across his face. Moving so quick that Lupin could barely follow it, Zenigata withdrew his hand from his coat and pressed something into Lupin's empty palm before snatching up the thick envelope of yen.

"You're gonna work." He said with a little smirk as he waved the envelope at Lupin. "While we go out and enjoy some city life."

In Lupin's hand now sat the Memory of Autumn Leaves earrings. "You can get a hold of our buyer and arrange the pick up of the rest of our cash since you had a nice month long vacation."

Lupin looked down at the shimmering earrings in his hand and back to the envelope he had been holding until just a moment ago. Zenigata's speed had been something else. Sometimes worthy of a thief. There was a ten car pile-up in Lupin's brain as surprise, astonishment, relief and most unexpected of all, arousal collided and vied for attention. A moment later, shock rose above all the others.

"What? R-right now? It's so late!" He asked.

"Not past last call." Jigen noted slyly. He and Goemon had been surprised by Zenigata's take charge attitude but welcomed it with smug satisfaction.

"You'll just have to wake your contact. Your team works hard and demands results." Goemon reasoned with a small smile on his lips that made Lupin want to spit nails. Lupin groaned. If he had been a fencer of stolen goods, calls in the middle of the night searching for money would not put him in a good mood. Not in any mood to be handing out such cash anyway. It looked like his night of bowing and scraping was not over by a long shot.

"Yeah. It's us who helped pops get his groove back, after all." Jigen agreed. He leaned an arm on Zenigata's shoulder He had a fist planted on a cocked hip and gave a brisk tip at the waist so he could get in Lupin's face. Jigen favored Lupin with what the thief could only describe as a full body shit-eating grin. 

"As our mighty leader, you shouldn't mind pulling your own weight around here. Especially after putting your crew through so much." Zenigata started to turn towards the door waving the envelope of money by his head. "Come on guys. Let's leave the boss to his work. Don't wait up, honey." He said without turning around. There was a bit of a chuckle in his voice. Goemon and Jigen followed, carousing and congratulating Zenigata on taking charge like he had.

Lupin wanted to shout after them. To bemoan his worrisome situation. He wanted to pump his middle finger in the air and call them stuck up and heartless. He wanted to do all that but watching his husband getting along with his two best friends, all he could do was heave a sigh and smile.


	8. Chapter 8

The money was gone with the moon and Zenigata stumbled into the apartment as the edge of the sun's rays touched the tops of the many tall buildings. Jigen and Goemon had left him on his long morning walk about an hour ago, too drunk and too tired to make the trip themselves. Both men had checked into a pod hotel to sleep it off, Goemon only giving up his drunk idea to wander off into the sunrise to continue his training when Zenigata reminded him that he still had to collect his portion of the profits from the heist. After that, he had silently turned and followed Jigen into the building.

The newly minted thief walked through the streets of Tokyo with his suit jacket draped over his arm and the buttons on his shirt undone to mid-chest. When he caught sight of himself in shop windows he thought he still looked a bit like yakuza but more like himself. The thought made him smile more.

The streets of Tokyo were quieter now. Wrapped in the stillness most cities had in the very early hours when the nightly occupants of the metropolis briefly brushed shoulders with their day time counterparts. It occurred to Zenigata that Lupin must have seen this seam of night and day many times when he had left his lover sleeping peacefully in his hotel bed during their long romance of brief rendezvous. It was beautiful. He hoped it would be as beautiful when he was sober.

Now he stood over his sleeping husband and he smiled. Everything was beautiful with Lupin at his side. As he turned to the closet to hang his suit coat Zenigata caught sight of himself in the full-length mirror. He smiled at his twin and snickered quietly at his flushed cheeks. It was surprising that he was still a tad drunk after everything.

He went to the bed then and, after dismissing the notion of letting his husband sleep onward, leaned down and kissed Lupin's temple before calling to him softly. "Lupin. Hey Lupin. Wake up."

Lupin groaned and pushed his face deeper into his pillow. It had been a night, between the slew of voice mails he had left to the man looking to fence The Memories of Autumn Leaves and the actual conversation with the groggy, cranky contact. Lupin wheedled and flattered then finally begged the fencer into meeting with him and it had been hell. Not to mention the tense meet up for the exchange which Lupin was afraid might cause the whole arrangement to fall through (the fencer would have asked for his advance back, the thief was sure, and then where would Lupin be?) But he had pulled it off, gotten his cash and collapsed into bed. He may have been up nearly as long as the rest of his gang, but he had had none of the fun.

Lupin waved blindly at Zenigata then pulled the blanket closer around him. Zenigata chuckled and pulled at the blankets.

"Come on. Come on. Wake up. I got something you're gonna wanna see. I promise." He snickered a little and his drunk brain thought about how cute his husband was. Lupin heaved himself onto his back but did not crack his eyes open.

"What time is it?" He grumbled. He was awake now and it, as well as his night previous, left him feeling a bit petulant. He lifted his heavy body to sit up and cracked a bleary eye open, unseeing. He had managed to strip down to his undershirt and boxers before falling asleep and the chill of the morning now prickled his uncovered arms.

"About 6:45." Zenigata said. He cupped the back of Lupin's head and tilted his lover's head back with gentle pressure. He kissed his husband slow and deep. He could tell when Lupin was getting into that grumpy child-like tantrum space that lack of sleep and fun sometimes brought out of him. A kiss wouldn't fix it but he hoped it would at least pull him back from the edge. Ha pulled away slowly. "I'm sorry, Lupin. I just couldn't wait till morning...or this afternoon when you got up, I guess" He chuckled again.

To say Lupin was awake before would be true in the fact that he was conscious. After that kiss however, Lupin really woke up. He inhaled through his nose, taking in Zenigata's rich warn scent. It made his head swim a little. When they separated and Zenigata began to ramble and giggle again, Lupin studied his face with wry amusement.

"You're drunk." He told him, sweetly. It was not the taste of alcohol in his kiss that had tipped him off. It was quite obvious in Zenigata's tone and manner but Lupin heard himself say it regardless. Zenigata's paused as if thinking this over. He then nodded and giggled.

"Yup. We drank all over Tokyo." he said as he began unbuttoning his shirt. "And then we got talking. And you know how things happen when you start talking when you're drunk." He snickered again as he struggled with the last button.

"Yeah..." Lupin drew the word out with caution. His eyes followed the movement of Zenigata's hands on his shirt. He was not sure what to expect. He did not call up the smile that was on his lips voluntarily.

"Well, the boys felt we needed to commemorate the occasion of me starting new." Zenigata began as he finally conquered the last button. He remembered the feel of comradery he had felt as he sat between the samurai and the marksman. It seemed to make sense what they were saying. This was something to celebrate. "Took us half the night to find him." Zenigata said as he pulled off the shirt from one shoulder then slipped it off the other arm. Where there had been untouched skin now held a masterpiece wrapped in cellophane.

From elbow to shoulder was a deep red phoenix. Tongues of fire ushered the mythical bird upward from the darkness. The tattoo was so beautifully designed that you could almost see the muscles moving under the feathers, yet it was a calm creature. Its head laid over Zenigata shoulder and rested on his chest like a trusting pet. Its eye was laying where the bullet hole scar once was. The older man's favorite part was the most delicate piece of the artwork. A bright blue sprig of lupine flower that the phoenix held gently in its large beak. Zenigata tossed his shirt on the end of the bed and smiled at his husband as he started to remove the plastic wrap.

"Hope you ain't mad I did it without you but I wanted it to be a surprise."

Lupin at first wanted to say something clever about Zenigata referring to Goemon and Jigen so colloquially as "the boys" but the sight of the tattoo struck him dumb. For a moment Lupin couldn't say anything. His mouth fell open and he lifted his hand as if to touch the beautiful tattoo but stopped himself.

"Pops..." He said at last. "Pops, this is... amazing."

"Took us a bit to find the same tattoo artists but as soon as he saw me he couldn't wait to work on me again." Zenigata said as he balled up the plastic wrap and tossed it into the wastebasket. "Took hours but Jigen and Goemon drank with me the whole time. Can only drink like that at an underground tattoo parlor. Perks of being a criminal." He stepped closer to Lupin and offered his arm for better inspection. "You wanna good look at her?"

"Do I ever! Get over here." Lupin answered. He was still flabbergasted by what he was seeing but it was a weird and wonderful surprise.

Zenigata stepped forward with a little cocky swagger and offered Lupin his arm. "Now be careful. It's still fresh. Gonna take a few weeks to heal properly like my koi did. Let me tell you, the artist was impressed. He calls himself Injigo by the way. He said he's never had someone sit so long through a tattoo." Zenigata puffed up his chest with pride.

Now that Lupin could get a better look he saw the maples leaves that swirled in the background and beside the bird, green up by Zenigata's shoulder and slowly changing color down his arm to the last one at his elbow which was a deep rich red-brown. A pink chrysanthemum was gripped in the phoenix's claw with the same gentle way it help the lupine.

"Well whoever he is, he's a genius." Lupin marveled. He never took his eyes off his husband's arm as he spoke. "And he works quick too. It's still hard to believe you managed to get all this done in one night! Didn't it hurt?"

"Yeah, a lot." Zenigata said with a chuckle. "Was bareable though. Luckily your husband has big meaty arms. That maple leaf by my elbow was a rough son of a bitch though." If Zenigata puffed up more he wouldn't fit in the room but the way Lupin was looking at his arm was emboldening. "Jigen and Goemon kept going out and getting us sake so that helped too."

Lupin breathed a short laugh at that. He took Zenigata by the hand and forearm so he could lift it to examine the tattoo from new angles.

"Chrysanthemums?" He asked, looking to Zenigata for an explanation.

"Determination." Zenigata explained simply. He smiled at Lupin. "I was determined to get stronger. Now I'm the strongest I've ever been."

"And the maple leaves?" Lupin had an idea what they were for but he was charmed by Zenigata's enthusiasm and wanted to hear him explain it.

"Time passing. Change." Zenigata answered he reached out and gently caressed one of Lupin's ears. "We've lived our lives together. As enemies. As lovers. We've changed and this is just another change in our lives. Me becoming a thief, being your husband. It's made me who I am. You made me who I am, Lupin."

Lupin found himself suddenly on the verge of being overwhelmed by such words. When Zenigata wanted to, he could be quite eloquent in his way. He offset the surprising tenderness with jokes, as he often did.

"Not to mention it was you who swiped the Memoires of Autumn Leaves. Nice to have something to remember your first conquest by, huh?" He pulled Zenigata's hand into his lap and squeezed it between both of his. Zenigata gave a shrug but he was smiling.

"Well, there's that too." He brought his hand from Lupin's cheek to their joined hands. "I wanted to do something permanent. This is forever, like you and me."

"You big softie..." Lupin admonished with an obvious fondness.

"Yeah well..." Zenigata blushed and looked away. "The phoenix... Was Jigen's idea actually. You're the koi and I'm the phoenix. I'm starting all over. New life. New me. But I remember what I came from. And...." he paused then and looked back at Lupin. He gripped his husband's hands tighter in his. Zenigata squared his shoulders and said the words he was afraid would upset the man he loved. "Lupin. After I was shot on the roof of the Natural History Museum, I died on the operating table. For three minutes."

Lupin felt his stomach drop. It may have been nearly a year since Zenigata had taken those two bullets for Lupin but the fear in many ways was still fresh. He had never thought just how close of a brush with death the whole thing had been. Without thinking, Lupin raised his hand and touched the scar on Zenigata's right side, just below his ribs, where the second bullet had hit him.

"I had... I had no clue. Oh, Pops..." Lupin began but he didn't know quite where to go from there. His gift for words had deserted him that morning and it added to his frustration.

"Hey. Hey." Zenigata took Lupin's face in his hands and leaned in until their foreheads were almost touching. "Look at me. It did happen but I came back and I ain't leaving any time soon."

Lupin breathed in Zenigata's scent, light and warm and it soothed him. It had only clung to their bedsheets for so long and he missed it. Lupin's reaction had seemed to sober Zenigata a fair amount based on the urgency in his eyes. It made Lupin's heart thump.

"Never again." He agreed "Not if I have my way."

"Never ever again." Zenigata confirmed. He wrapped the arm that has his Koi on it around Lupin's waist and pulled him closer. "And if we ever have to be apart, I'll come back to you again. Just like last time. I died and woke up in a new life. A better one."

After their time apart, such close and caring touch was like Mana from heaven to Lupin. His hand left the bullet scar to slip around Zenigata's waist and close the embrace. He placed a kiss high on Zenigata's cheekbone, just below his eye.

"The best one. For me too, you know." Lupin was not ashamed of the thickness in his throat he had to fight through to get the words out.

"I hoped so." Zenigata said softly before turning his head slightly and kissing Lupin the way he had been thinking about kissing him for the past month. Savoring the taste and touch of his husband as his eyes closed and the world fell away. All that existed was the two of them.

Lupin was entranced by the kiss. He drank it in slowly like it was the first time all over again. Sweet and sure. It made his heart thrum with such a love it was almost painful. To some, a mere month of separation did not seem like much but to Lupin, who had spent years seeing Zenigata for the briefest of clandestine meetings and had just gotten used to being with the man every day, it had felt like an eternity. Yes, Zenigata had grown for the better away from Lupin and he was so proud of that, but Lupin was too stupidly deep in love to ever want to go through that again. He laid back in bed, taking his husband with him and just _kissed_ him.

Zenigata chuckled against Lupin's lips as he was pulled down into the bed but did not relent. He braced an arm on Lupin's pillow as he climbed more fully on the bed. The kiss was deepened and Zenigata's heart was full. Full of so much love for his husband. Lupin took the opportunity to travel his palms up the expanse of Zenigata's bare back. The flesh was warm and giving under his fingers.

"I missed you..." He said gently between kisses. Zenigata could hear the smile in Lupin's voice.

"I missed you too. Very very much" Zenigata replied. The feel of Lupin in his arms was achingly perfect and he couldn't help his hands from wandering up under Lupin's shirt as they kissed.

Lupin's skin prickled with gooseflesh, in part from the coolness of the air creeping beneath his shirt to his bed warmed skin, but mostly at the touch being that of his husband's. He whimpered lightly into his lover's mouth. Lupin twisted and kicked away his blanket so he could entwine his legs into Zenigata's. He was already half hard, pressed into Zenigata's hip, and not ashamed of his want. Zenigata helped push the blankets away as he gently spread Lupin's legs with his knees. He settled in between his lover's legs and chuckled at the hardness of the length he felt.

"You really did miss me, huh?" He teased as he pulled back a bit. For all his teasing Zenigata had to admit he was in a similar state. Lupin giggled in a low impish tone.

"A month sleeping alone and then seeing you absolutely slam dunk that job? Plus you come home to me with that tattoo? Can ya blame me? I'm not usually turned on by guys with ink... But you make it look good, old man." He responded. Lupin slipped his hand along the back of Zenigata's head and pulled him in to kiss along his neck. A breathy moan escaped Zenigata at the touch of those lips on his neck.

"Lupin." He breathed as his eyes closed in pleasure. "I thought of you every night. You've always been a big part of all my thoughts. Every day. But now..." he chuckled and pulled back a little to look at Lupin. "It's so much better." Zenigata kissed his husband with a deep and burning passion. It was no longer playful soft kisses. This was the raw sexual tension breaking between them and Zenigata could barely contain it. He slid both hands up under Lupin's shirt and pushed it up.

Lupin gave as good as he got, kissing breathlessly and opening his mouth to twine his tongue around Zenigata's. He broke away just long enough to slip his head through the neck hole of his undershirt and then his mouth was seeking out that flavor again. That flavor of sake and want and unadulterated love. His hands tangled above his head a moment in the folds of his undershirt before he could toss it away.

Zenigata's hands abandoned Lupin's shirt once the man had taken over and went to his belt and slacks. Working quickly he shucked off his pants before kicking them off the bed. His hands went to his boxers and removed them from his form just as rapidly.

Both of them were moving frantically now. Their hands were greedy in the way they swept over the flesh of the other. It was like they were trying to reacquaint themselves with something they could never forget. Lupin shuffled out of his boxers and they hung from one ankle in his hurry to press his naked flesh fully to Zenigata. He rolled his hip and ground into his lover. Their over excited members rubbed blindly against once another. Lupin groaned into Zenigata's mouth.

As much as Zenigata was enjoying his reacquaintance with his husband it seemed Lupin's hands kept straying to the tender flesh of his tattoo. It would be a couple of days until it stopped feeling like a very nasty sunburn and while it wasn't terribly painful for Lupin to touch, it still wasn't a good feeling. Not trying to spoil the mood, he moved his lover's hands away from the still raw skin as nonchalantly as he could. When that didn't deter his husband he knew he'd have to say something.

"Lupin. Watch your hands. Ink's still fresh." He panted before grinding his hips against Lupin's and giving a deep moan.

"Oh. Oh yeah. Sorry..." Lupin's response was distracted but unbothered. He planted his hands on Zenigata's bare hips and flexed his fingers there. Nearly six years ago when this had all begun, Lupin remembered the small love handles that had once settled around Zenigata's middle. The results of desk work and too many instant dinners. The last year had diminished them to nothing and it was one of the hundred tiny little ways Zenigata had proven how he was serious about bettering himself for the good of his team. Not that Lupin had minded them. It was just that Zenigata's determination made Lupin so proud and his pride was another facet of his love.

Zenigata dipped his head and kissed down Lupin's neck as his hands slid downward. One thick thumb brushed Lupin's nipple. He had always loved the little gasps Lupin made when he did that. His other hand slid into the hollow of their hips and wrapped his hand around the erections there. Stroking them gently together, he sighed as he kissed up to Lupin's ear and nipped his earlobe.

"Ah!" Lupin gasped and arched his back. He held his lover at both elbows and twisted his hips into the touch. He tried not to buck too wantonly but the soft rub of skin on skin was amazing and made his body thrum with a feeling like liquid fire.

"Mmm... Missed hearing you make sounds like that." Zenigata said in a low breathy voice into Lupin's ear as he slowly stroked their members together. He angled his newly inked elbow out of Lupin's grasp, to remind the thief to watch his hands.

"You're killing me, Pops..." Lupin whined. He undulated beneath Zenigata, pulling a bit with each downstroke. He hated to sound like some horny school kid, but with his love life as consistent as Zenigata had made it, Lupin was needy with want. Foreplay was well and good but the thief felt impatient. Had since he had laid eyes on Zenigata in his beautiful new suit in that Osakan alleyway. Lupin encircled his arms around Zenigata's neck, unthinkingly brushing his fingertips along Zenigata's biceps. Zenigata flinched away from Lupin's fingers but kept up his movements.

"Tell me what you want, Lupin." He rumbled into Lupin's ear. He knew Lupin was ready to move on and so was he but he wanted to hear Lupin say it. Needed to hear Lupin say it.

"Make love to me, Kou..." Lupin hushed. Using your husband's first name was usually a given but Lupin always saw it as the height of intimacy between them. There was no mistake how Lupin felt in that moment. He hugged Zenigata tight to him, chest to chest.

The look of love on Zenigata's face was only lessened slightly by the small hiss of pain he made as he pulled his chest away from Lupin's. The portion of his tattoo over his chest was particularly tender as the artist had spent so much time on the expression for the Phoenix. Calm yet determined and very powerful. He pushed past the pain and kissed Lupin soundly.

"Anything for you, Arsene." He pulled away just enough to reach into the bedside drawer and pulled out the tube of lubricant. A mildly lecherous grin spread across his face. "Spread your legs for me." He knew what those words did to his husband and Zenigata loved saying it.

Lupin's ears went pink. He was momentarily overcome but then regained composure enough to return the smile with shy enthusiasm. It was the look of a kid up to mischief. Lupin nodded and obeyed. He shook his boxers off, as they were still hanging off one ankle, and spread his legs across the sheets brazenly.

Zenigata could barely contain his want for his lover. He leaned down and kissed Lupin as he first slicked up his fingers then rubbed them over Lupin's tight opening. The need to tease the other man held strong but Zenigata knew Lupin would have none of that right now. With a little pressure, he pushed the first of two fingers inside of Lupin as he moved his mouth from Lupin's and began kissing and nipping over his chin and neck.

Lupin lifted his head to grant Zenigata better access to his neck. His breath caught in his throat with an audible click then released in a sigh of pleasure. He ran his fingers through Zenigata's hair then let them fall back above his head, resting on the pillow. He arched a little, trying not to squirm but having a tough time of it.

Soon Zenigata added a second finger. He probed and explored his husband, living for the noises the other man was making, reveling in the sighs and just stretching and teasing after a month apart; Leaving marks of ownership on Lupin's skin with his mouth and teeth that were not nearly as permanent as the ones he had placed on his arms or the one Lupin had placed on his heart. Finally, he crooked his fingers and pressed that place deep inside of Lupin that Zenigata knew would drive him wild.

Lupin took handfuls of the bedsheets and cooed. He rolled his hips, blindly seeking more pleasure. His heart was beating so hard Lupin was certain he could hear it in his ears.

"That's good..." He sighed. It felt like the understatement of the year coming from his lips but it was all that would come out in his hazy stupor.

"I like it when you feel good." Zenigata rumbled. They had been frantic before but now he slowed down. Taking his time to touch and love his husband. He knew that in the grand scheme of things one month was not much but for him, it felt like an eternity. He couldn't help but want to touch and relearn his husband all over again.

Lupin didn't want to pant, lest he look too eager, but it seemed he couldn't help it. Zenigata was driving him wild. He knew Lupin's body so well and was using that knowledge to his advantage. Lupin hung onto Zenigata's shoulder and used it to leverage to twist his body down onto Zenigata's fingers. Without thinking, the shoulder he had grabbed was Zenigata's freshly tattooed one.

"Ah! Lupin!" Zenigata grunted in pain. He stilled his movements and bent his shoulder forward to keep Lupin from pulling on the tattooed skin. "You gotta watch your hands. You don't wanna mess up my new ink."

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean it!" Lupin gulped. His hand flew back to the mattress. He kissed Zenigata's cheek and jaw by way of apology. "You just got me so worked up..."

Zenigata smiled and kissed Lupin. "It's ok. Just be careful." he pumped his fingers inside Lupin a few more times and smirked at his lover's panting heated reaction. "You ready for me?"

"Am I ever..." Lupin could have played his breathless enthusiasm off as a joke but he was legitimately excited by the prospect. He lifted his legs to rest them around Zenigata's hips. Zenigata smirked as he pulled his fingers free before quickly stroking himself with lubricant. He nuzzled into Lupin's neck as pressed slowly into his lover. A groan escaped him as he pushed in slowly. He knew what Lupin could take and was ready to remind his husband how good they felt together.

"So perfect." He sighed once he was fully seated inside.

Lupin held his breath at the feeling of being filled so sweetly. He let it out as an airy moan of pleasure. His head fell to one side, granting Zenigata that much more access to his neck. He felt the puff of Zenigata's breath, only slightly uneven against the sensitive flesh there and the vibration of his low sensual words. His body rippled with gooseflesh. He slung an arm around Zenigata's neck, careful to not approach the side with Zenigata's fresh tattoo, and held on.

Zenigata was slow with his movements at first. Barely moving in and out. Just a few inches each time. The heat and the tightness around him was everything he remembered and more.

"Oh, Lupin. I dreamed of you every night. I missed you so much." He whispered as he kissed his husband's neck. He panted harder as he started to thrust in earnest now.

"I'm pretty sure those are my lines, Pops..." Lupin breathed a little chuckle. Any more word were stolen from Lupin by Zenigata's smooth thrusts. Now they were replaced with soft and shallow moans.

A logical mind might think that a month was not a long enough time for the two men to be yearning for the other like they were. They had spent the entirety of their relationship waiting from encounter to encounter, after all. But Lupin knew better. He understood that this was love and love did not work on logic. The freedom to be together always had spoiled them and neither of them was capable of going back to a life of separation. Zenigata chuckled breathlessly in Lupin's ear.

"A guy can't get a bit romantic after being away from the man he loves for a whole month?" He teased as he hiked Lupin's leg up a bit higher on his hip, allowing him to thrust deeper and harder, reaching new places of pleasure inside of Lupin.

"By all means. You just took the words right out of my mouth." Lupin replied. He turned his head back to whisper against his lover's lips. "Give them back..."

Lupin kissed Zenigata with fervor. His tongue moved against Zenigata own and he drank in his taste like fine wine. Lupin decided Zenigata's kiss was the thing he had missed the most. Zenigata cradled the side of Lupin's face as they kissed deeply. His other hand hooked behind Lupin's knee as his deep slow thrusts made him moan into his lover's mouth.

Like hills and valleys their lovemaking went, undulating between slow and libidinous to more urgent and then back again. Lupin clung to Zenigata. His hand started at Zenigata's waist where he felt the undulation of his husband's body rolling through his muscles. It rose up the curve of Zenigata's shoulder blade and then back again. Each time Lupin would begin to make the return trip down Zenigata's shoulder and arm and then remember his sensitive flesh and pull away. His mind was addled by desire, though and eventually he would stray back to map Zenigata's body and somewhere along the way brush the vulnerable phoenix. Zenigata hissed through his teeth as once again his husband forgot to keep his hands to himself. He pulled back to give Lupin a lusty look.

"Those grabby hands have always gotten you in trouble. Guess I'm gonna have to restrain you." He teased as he pushed all the way inside of Lupin before stilling his movements. He rested his weight on his knees and grabbed both of Lupin's wrists in his own and pinned them to the bed before starting to move inside his lover once more. Lupin tried to pull a face that was playfully indignant but Zenigata and his masterful strokes made Lupin choke on his breath. He arched and panted a minute until he regained himself enough to crack an eye open and look up at his husband.

"What happened to being romantic?" He challenged with feverish seductive mirth.

"You lost that when you couldn't keep your hands to yourself." He teased as he slowed his thrusts down once more. This new position did not allow the closeness the last one had. Zenigata was above Lupin and it was going to make it harder to kiss him at this angle. At least not the long slow kisses they had been employing. Lupin planted his feet on the bed and raised his hips in an attempt to change the angle. Lupin wanted more than the languid thrusts he was being given and it made his whole form thrum with want.

"Come on, Pops. I didn't mean to. You know you make me absolutely batty. I can't help it. I got to have all of you. I forgot." Lupin's whine was deliberately coquettish. He batted his eyes and served up a face that he knew had a way of undoing Zenigata. All parted lips and flushed cheeks. Only a portion of his wantonness was staged and a very small portion at that. "Forgive me?"

Zenigata's heart fluttered at those words and that look. He leaned down to give Lupin a short kiss before pulling away.

"I forgive you but I think it might be best if we remove temptation." He chuckled before completely pulling himself from Lupin with a deep groan. With a move that was one part playful and one part grapple, Zenigata grabbed Lupin by the arm and tossed him onto his stomach laying across the bed. He then settled between lupin's legs and leaned down to kiss his neck while caressing his ass. Lupin was startled from any type of seductions he was pulling off and squawked when Zenigata flipped him.

"What're you doing? Romance really is off the table now, huh? Talk about tender returns!" He griped. Making love from behind was not the norm for Zenigata and Lupin. It was terribly impersonal for Lupin's tastes in particular and both of them preferred positions where they could kiss and make eye contact. The sudden change left Lupin a bit put out. A deep chuckle rumbled from Zenigata's chest into Lupin's back.

"Mmm... you brought it on yourself since you can't keep your hands off my arm." He said biting and kissing Lupin's neck. He rubbed his hard member against Lupin's backside. "Besides. You can watch us in the mirror. Now lift your hips for me a bit."

"Huh?" Lupin was caught off guard by that comment. He looked across the room to the full-length mirror mounted to the back of their bedroom door. What he saw there did manage to take him by surprise. The sight of Zenigata's naked form, draped as it was over him as it was, did have its appeal. He watched Zenigata kiss the shell of his ear and for a moment their eyes locked in the mirror's reflection. Zenigata's smile made Lupin shiver. It was imperceptible and Lupin was sure Zenigata had felt it but nevertheless, the thief decides to be stubborn a bit longer.

"Now I just feel like you're picking on me. I said I was sorry..." He grumbled into the mattress, even as he did what he was told. Zenigata sucked and kissed at Lupin's neck, looking up every so often to catch Lupin's eyes. One hand gripped Lupin's hip with a large hand and the other lined his hard member with Lupin's opening. He pressed but didn't push inside.

"I want you to watch me make love to you. I get to see how amazing you look when I'm inside you. You never get to see that." Their eyes met up as Zenigata pushed slowly inside.

It was amazing how quickly one could change their tune. Lupin's front of annoyance (as flimsy as it was) fell apart when Zenigata whispered in his that dark velvety voice. He gasped in pleasure when Zenigata entered him and without thinking he pushed back on his husband's length. A shallow groan escaped him.

"Mmm, yes. Just like that. It's how I thought of you every night we were apart." Zenigata husked as he set up a steady rhythm. He nuzzled those pronounced ears that he loved so very very much. "I love your passion. Your magnetic personality. Your kind and loving heart. Look, Lupin. Look for me. I need you to see how even though we are whole by ourselves we are so much better together." One strong arm was looped under Lupin's arm and his hand rested over his lover's heart. This forced Lupin's upper body to stay up off the bed and he couldn't look away from the image of them together.

Lupin's eyes had fluttered closed to focus on the smooth steady pleasure and the stricken but warm tones of Zenigata's words. Now Lupin obeyed and opened his eyes. He couldn't take them off of the sight. It was not at all the lewd display Lupin thought he might have seen. It was beautiful, fluid. Two bodies, yes, but working in tandem as one. It was not the first time lupin had caught his reflection in a mirror during lovemaking but it had never looked like this; so thoroughly like love personified. He propped himself up with flat hands on the sheets and took in every detail.

His body at the forefront, rocking in time to Zenigata's movements. The delicious obscene bounce of his length. His cheeks were pink and eyes dilated. His nipples were hardened to pretty little peaks. And behind him, there was Zenigata. He looked every inch a god to Lupin. His hips were twisting with a gorgeous rhythm that looked as good as it felt. His strong hand held Lupin at the hip and the fingers splayed and pressed softly into the flesh there. The muscles of his arms worked each time Zenigata pulled Lupin back onto his hardness, hypnotic beneath the ink of feathers and scales and flowers. And throughout it all, Zenigata words flowed and intoxicated like wine, making his head spin and his body melt.

"Oh, Pops..." The name dropped from Lupin's lips unbidden. It was always something when Zenigata could make Lupin speechless. Zenigata chuckled as his thrusts sped up.

"I missed everything about you. I missed us. But being away showed me how good we are together." He buried his face in Lupin's neck as his hand left Lupin's hip and slid down to stroke Lupin's erection. "Thank you Lupin. Thank you for showing how strong I was and how much we belong together."

"I'm so proud of you... I love you so much..." Lupin moaned low. It felt strangely like an out of body experience as he watched himself be made love to. He was mesmerized by the painstaking way Zenigata poured himself into the act. It was a beautiful sight to behold and gave Lupin the most keen sense that he would always be safe and protected in those arms adorned with their guardian creatures. It was not something Lupin would ever have imagined he'd want but he couldn't see life any other way now.

It was then Lupin was without a doubt in the arms of a changed man. Changed for the better. Zenigata the downtrodden officer had been erased and in his place was Zenigata the thief. Still the man Lupin had fallen in love with but now free and strong and here to stay. Reborn like a phoenix. The revelation made tears of joy sting Lupin's eyes. He reached back and lifted Zenigata's chin so he could capture his lips in a shallow but loving kiss over his shoulder.

"I love you too. Very very much." Zenigata moaned against Lupin's lips between shallow furtive kisses. His heart was full to bursting with his love for this man and the feel of him was absolutely mind blowing. His lover. His husband was with him and if they were parted they would always find each other again. Nothing could keep them apart for long. The thought made him pulse inside Lupin. He was close and throbbing and he couldn't help but speed up his hips and hand as he slowly neared the edge. "Lupin...... Arsene..... I'm close." He panted against those perfect lips.

"Don't stop...!" Lupin gasped in response. He was whimpering his pleasure in time to Zenigata's movements, breathy and thick with desire. His own end was fast approaching and it made him tense his muscles hard. It continued to build and intensify and Lupin dropped his head down, gritting his teeth and groaning through them. The pleasure of it grew nearly unbearable and within minutes it crested. Lupin let his jaw drop open, first in a soundless shout and then sobs of bliss as Zenigata rode him through orgasm. It was enough to make white light flash behind Lupin's tightly shut eyes.

Zenigata bowed his head and rode Lupin as he tightened around him. He pressed his forehead between the man beneath him's shoulder blades and released his hold on Lupin's member. He gripped those thin hips and laid into him. It didn't take long before he was falling over the edge himself. He let out a choked groan and slammed in hard one more time before spilling deep inside Lupin. He came hard and it was amazing to be back with his lover. He let his weight collapse on top of Lupin with a satisfied sigh.

Lupin was overstimulated by Zenigata's final onslaught and it made his already tense muscles spasm and shiver. He took Zenigata's weight for a few moments until he, at last, gave in and his strength failed him. Lupin collapsed onto the bed and gave himself over to the warm hum of afterglow. He filled his lungs and let out a deep satisfied sigh. Zenigata's bulk on top of him was reassuring and Lupin stole one last look at the two of them in the mirror. They gently moved with the heaving of their breath, slowly coming down. They were both flushed pink and shining with sweat. Zenigata was laying with his cheek against Lupin's shoulder and his expression of blissful peace, eyes closed and lips parted slightly, looked like that of an angel to Lupin. Without opening his eyes, Zenigata chuckled.

"Still mad I made you change positions?" He teased as he nuzzled Lupin's shoulder. He was happy. Really happy. For the first time, he belonged someplace. Lupin softly smiled and closed his own eyes for a moment. He was comforted by Zenigata's closeness, both physical and emotional. Lupin felt safe and loved.

"I could tear my hair out." He joked tenderly. Zenigata laughed. He laughed hard before pulling out of Lupin and flopping down beside him on the bed.

"Consider it payback for a month in the country." He joked before reaching out and caressing Lupin's face. "I really did miss you ya know. Couldn't wait to be back beside you."

Lupin hummed happily at the touch. He pillowed his head in his arms and watched Zenigata fondly.

"It was a long road, huh? I wouldn't change it for the world, though." He said. He meant it. Lupin had worried and fretted over Zenigata, especially after the first two weeks of Murasaki's regular phone calls. He had also worried for Goemon and Jigen in a way. If Zenigata could not penetrate the barrier of the others' trust, Lupin had feared that it would be the end of his merry band. While Lupin was a linchpin personality, he didn't know if such a rift could have been mended by his machinations alone. So seeing not only his husband rise to the occasion, but his two best friends come back with a new spark for the job had made Lupin all but bubble over with pride and love for them. Lupin made troublesome mischievous eyes at his husband.

"I still say you'll thank me for sending you to get along camp someday. Jigen and Goemon too." He added loftily.

"I can't say I don't agree with you." Zenigata conceeded with a roll of his eyes. He moved his hand from Lupin's face to one of his hands and laced their fingers together. His smile faded and his brow crinkled as thought. "Lupin. We gotta talk about Jigen." He said after a moment.

Lupin lifted his head and the look he gave Zenigata was the picture of confusion. It was the last person he had expected to be brought up at such a time and the gravity with which Zenigata had said it made Lupin concerned.

They spoke until the morning sun was bright. When they were finished, Lupin dressed and made himself presentable. He left Zenigata in bed, telling his husband that he had a lot of important work to do. Zenigata offered to come with him but Lupin refused. He insisted that Zenigata had been up all night and should catch up on his beauty sleep ("As if you needed it." He added jovially) and besides, he had already done enough to help. With that, Lupin was off. Between the physical weariness and the comfortable warmth of being back where he belonged, Zenigata scarcely kept his eyes open for longer than ten minutes.

  
Lupin caught up with Jigen and Goemon and arranged to meet them at a coffee house near the apartment. The two looked a little worse for wear after their night of debauchery with Zenigata but Lupin had seen them look much worse. In fact, under the hastily straightened hair and slightly rumpled clothes, Lupin might've said they looked oddly content. Like they knew all was right in the world. Lupin gave them each their cut of the profits from the job in thickly stuffed envelopes and over black coffee (and green tea) they did what Lupin had come to call in his head "the long kiss goodbye".

It always worked the same way. None of them would ever out and out say they were leaving. The notion was far too sentimental. They would just congratulate themselves on their most recent caper and then move on to whatever easy topics the three friends could dream up. Inevitably someone would bring up how they had heard that the weather was perfect in such-and-such this time of year or that the ponies were running hot this place or that. The conversation would wind its way down naturally and end with three men going three different ways. Never saying the dreaded word "goodbye" lest they make this time the last they saw each other.

It was Goemon who was first to withdraw this time. He told a story of how Martinique might make for a peaceful place of repose until the path of his training made itself clear and neither Jigen or Lupin disagreed with him. They only wished him luck and watched as he walked away. Jigen has begun the motions to make his exit as well and that was when Lupin stopped him. The thief knew he would have to have this conversation now before they separated again or things might never be right between him and Jigen.

It had been awkward to start. Lupin didn't know how to bring it up so he had just let it slip all at once. How he had pushed Jigen away and how it had taken Zenigata telling Lupin what a tremendous ass he was being to make him realize it. He insisted that it was now or never to make it right.

At first, Jigen didn't want to participate, only telling Lupin that he "didn't do things this way". Jigen had wanted to slip away without making all of this into, for lack of a better phrase, a big thing. Lupin took it in stride and told Jigen that he didn't have to do anything if he would just hear Lupin out. He knew confronting feelings head on was difficult for Jigen so Lupin did his best to make things succinct.

Lupin spoke with clear and sure sincerity. He had presumed Jigen being around was the same thing as Jigen being close. He had taken him for granted and has been doing so for a long while now. Lupin could do nothing to stop how Jigen felt about him but he could do everything in his power to be a better friend if Jigen could give him that chance.

Lupin had wanted to say more. He had wanted to tell Jigen that in a way he would always love him, as he would always love Fujiko. It was intangible and impossible to explain properly but Lupin understood he left a sliver of his heart with every lover he had parted ways with. The rest, of course, was taken by one man and Lupin was happy that way. All of that, of course, was a bridge too far. Some things, Lupin decided, belonged to our hearts and could not be spoken aloud. So he left the spilling of his guts at that and waited for Jigen's response.

The gunman had listened, not bowing his head or avoiding eye contact as he always did when talking about anything like this with Lupin, but watching him with the surety Lupin so admired in him. When Lupin said his peace, Jigen absorbed it for a few moments. A soft smile touched the corners of his mouth and Jigen stood. He offered his hand to Lupin.

"You're an idiot. I'm glad it's not my job to keep you in line anymore." He said simply but with warmth. Lupin looked wide-eyed from Jigen to his outstretched hand and then stood, seizing it in his. That handshake was as good as a kiss to Lupin. It conveyed love and trust with very little. It felt right. It was like they had expelled a ghost from a haunted house and everything was suddenly cleansed.

"I'd say to tell him to take care of you...but I know he will." Jigen continued with that same muted kindness that made Lupin so happy to call Jigen his friend. Jigen released Lupin's hand and took a step back, turning on his heel. He lifted a hand in lazy farewell salute, without looking back, before sliding his hands into his pockets. "Be seeing ya..."

Lupin lifted his own hand in response, smiling from ear to ear. He turned and went the opposite way.

As Jigen walked back the way he came, he spied a copy of "The African Queen" on the sidewalk rack outside the used bookshop next door. He stopped, considered it and then walked on.

  
Zenigata sat in the spacious living room of their apartment. He had slept for a bit but not too late into the day. The early afternoon would have been excessive to sleep until if Zenigata hadn't come home as the sun came up but he supposed those were thief's hours so he better get used to it. Afterwards, he had gotten up and showered before putting on some pajama pants. Remembering how Lupin had helped him with the upkeep of his first tattoo he launched into the routine, making sure the strenuous activity from the morning hadn't affected it. Luckily his phoenix with its leaves and chrysanthemum had held up well.

He was a bit groggy and his stomach and head weren't playing nice with him but he was slowly recovering. After some coffee and ramen (with a bit of umeboshi on top. A cure Zenigata swore by) he was feeling a bit more like himself. Lupin still wasn't home by early evening so Zenigata sat himself down in front of the tv and watched whatever show seemed to catch his fancy. There was little time in his old life to focus on television and in his new life he was usually surrounded by others who had more specific tastes than him and it hadn't been worth fighting about. Now he was alone.

The apartment was too quiet. No kids. None of the crew. It was going take some getting used to being on their own but it had its own appeal. He and Lupin hadn't had a real honeymoon but as their first anniversary approached it would be nice to celebrate with just the two of them.

When the group eventually got back together it would be nice too but for now, they had each other and that thought held its own charm. Zenigata thought of what he could do for Lupin for their first anniversary as an old samurai movie played in the background. Maybe they should move on from Japan. Head to Europe or the Americas. On the other hand, there really wasn't a rush at the moment. Wherever they went they would find work. At least the type of work in their line of business and that work never dried up. So maybe they could stay a couple more weeks and enjoy the sights and sounds of familiar Tokyo.

Before long Zenigata found himself dozing as the movie droned on only interrupted by the regular commercial break. He sat relaxed and happy. He deserved the rest. That was when Lupin came into the apartment. He was walking with all the bouncing swagger of a rubber hose cartoon character and when his eyes fell upon Zenigata, his grin all but reached his ears.

"There he is. Hello there, gorgeous!" He chirped. At the sound of the door opening, Zenigata turned at the waist and looked over the top of the sofa at his husband. He rested his arm adorned with the Phoenix along the headrest. 

"Musta gone well with the way you're acting." He said as he smiled. It was good to see his lover in such a good mood. Lupin looked a little abashed and scratched the back of his head. He was clearly humbled but happy.

"Yeah, well, it's not like we talk like that often. Jigen's not a guy to look for big confessions. I think he just wanted to hear me say it. Leave it at that." Lupin came around the couch and sat beside Zenigata. "You really rubbed off on him, you know. I think he likes you."

"Naw. He just learned to put up with me." He laughed with a little smile. Zenigata reached over and took Lupin's hand in his. "You know they only keep coming back to be near you. I can't blame them either." There was a sweet lovesick smile added to those last words that made them mean so much more.

Lupin felt his own smile going gooey around the edges, touched as he was by his husband's sentiments but then he seemed to catch himself and his earlier spunky energy overtook him.

"Oh! There's a reason I'm so late!" He explained with giddy delight. He checked his watch. "What time is it?! Yikes, that late already?!"

Upon seeing the time, Lupin began looking around first himself and then past Zenigata with growing concern. He laid across the former inspector's lap to search through the cushions at the sofa's far side.

"Where the hell's the remote? You're going to miss it!" He cried never losing that fired up edge. As much as Zenigata didn't mind having his husband sprawled in his lap the man's behavior was definitely on the odder side.

"What the hell are you going on about, Lupin?" He asked as he gently placed a hand on Lupin's back. Lupin was lifting throw pillows and reaching beneath cushions and didn't seem to hear Zenigata.

"If it doesn't make the six o'clock news I will absolutely have kittens, I swear!" He joked. At last, finding the television remote, Lupin went whizzing through the channels, slowing down only on any networks that seemed to be airing the news. Seemingly at random, he stopped on a news program where camera footage was showing what looked like downtown Tokyo and cheered: "YES!"

Lupin sat up and his sight darted back and forth between the TV and Zenigata watching the TV. His smile was like that of a child on Christmas morning. The footage on screen was amateur, caught vertically with a cell phone, presumably. It was at a crowded intersection, the streets packed with people waiting to cross. The perspective of the camera was pointing up and panning back and forth to catch the whole scene. The sky was filled with hundreds upon hundreds of pages, all fluttering down like great paper snowflakes. Everyone's heads were turned up to watch. Cars rolled by slowly, their drivers peering out through their windshields or sticking their heads out their windows. Fingers pointed from the crowd and hand reached in attempts to snag the falling papers. The air was filled from every direction and the whole thing was undercut by ah's of wonder and indistinct crowd chatter which then faded out to a female voice over:

"This was the scene of confusion today as, without warning, hundreds of flyers were dropped from above Shibuya Crossing. The incident has been confirmed as the work of the notorious criminal, Lupin the Third. The master thief is well known for his public announcements of his upcoming crimes but has been silent since his abduction of Interpol Inspector Koichi Zenigata last year. The flyers littered the streets after raining down, sources say from rooftop mounted cannons powered by industrial fans. How and when the devices were placed, authorities still don't know."

Zenigata sat forward as he watched the tv, absolutely enthralled. He was usually pretty good at guessing Lupin's next step but he really was at a loss this time. The scene on the tv went back to cell phone camera footage, this time from an open office window above the street showing the ground below going white under the sheer volume of paper. The corners of his mouth quirked up as his eyes still searched the scene for the reason behind his husband's crazy antics.

"Lupin." He said after a moment before turning to look at the man. The smile was still there and the eyes were still searching but this time they were searching the man rather than the tv screen. "What did you do?"

Lupin bit his lower lip and nodded back at the television as if that was all the answer he need give. His smile never wavered. Zenigata looked back to the TV where the voice-over continued:

"The most baffling part of the incident was the flyers' message. They included copies of a French marriage license for Lupin and Inspector Zenigata as well as photos of the alleged ceremony. There was also a message signed by Lupin stating, quote: 'My greatest theft has only been surpassed by the greatest arrest of my new husband: I stole his heart and he captured mine."

Now two graphics of the double-sided flyer were up on screen. One side was the words currently being read over the air, written in Lupin's crisp script and the other had a clear copy of Lupin and Zenigata's marriage license complete with both of their signatures and a full-color shot of the pair by the Seine. Zenigata was in his good grey suit, Lupin in one of white. Zenigata held Lupin's chin between thumb and forefinger to tilt his face up. They were sharing a sweet kiss with the picturesque backdrop of the Eiffel Tower in the distance behind them. It was Lupin's favorite picture from their wedding day.

The newscaster had brought the story up for discussion to a pair of experts who came up on screen and began to debate. Speculation on whether or not the authorities considered the incident a hoax and what they were doing with this newly surfaced development in the inspector's kidnapping case began. Zenigata thought he might have heard things like "Stockholm Syndrome" and "elaborate ransom note" being said but they all sounded like they were far down a tunnel now.

"I told you I'd tell the whole world about us one day..." Lupin said quietly. He was glowing warmly like soft candlelight and watched Zenigata with a quiet intensity.

Instantly Zenigata stood from the sofa, his eyes wide in surprise and his lips parted in a near-silent gasp. There he was, kissing Lupin in the photo on the television. Everyone saw. There were people in the streets with the proof in their hands. If the police wanted to authenticate the license it would take a quick data check. It would take a matter of seconds over the internet. The last veil had been lifted and Zenigata was surprised to say he felt relieved. Like he could finally breathe after all this time. The smile came back to his face and he could feel the tears starting in the corners of his eyes as he turned to talk to his husband. "It's been almost a year. Why now?"

Lupin again looked a little embarrassed. His eyes traveled down and away then back to his husband as he spoke.

"I still wanted to give you the chance to go back by to your old life if you wanted. But last night... I knew you'd never turn back. And I had to let everyone know." He explained. Zenigata sat down hard on the couch as his knees gave out. He looked at his husband astounded before taking both his hands in his own.

"We broke up in Madrid and I was miserable till we got back together. We got engaged that night. I took a bullet for you in Washington and when you offered to let me out of the engagement to keep me safe I ran away with you and we got married." The tears spilled down his cheeks but he was smiling in a humbled, sweet way. "There is nothing in this world that could convince me that a life without you was worth living." One of his hands released Lupin's and reached up to cup the side of Lupin's face. "I love you Arsene Lupin the Third and there's only one regret I have."

"And what's that?" Lupin asked, trying to sound playful through a tight throat.

"That I didn't realize I loved you sooner." Zenigata said softly. A bit of melancholy was hidden under those sweet words and he scooted closer to Lupin before he spoke again. "In the beginning, I was an awful man. I woulda shot you as soon as looking at ya cause I thought you were some young asshole punk who woulda done the same to me. Years of chasing you, and I knew you then. You were a man I respected. A man that had integrity like no man I'd ever met, with or against the law. When I'd get a report that you'd been spotted my heart would jump up in my throat and I'd jump on a plane as fast as I could." He brought the hand he'd been holding to his chest and placed Lupin's palm over his heart. "I thought I felt that way cause it meant that this time I'd catch you. It wasn't that at all. I loved you. I loved being around you. I just didn't know till you said it and then it was like knowing my own damn name. I'd loved you for so damn long. As long as I could remember really knowing you." He chuckled and he could feel the tears streaming down his cheeks as he pressed his forehead to Lupin's. "And maybe it is a bit of that Stockholm Syndrome for the both of us. Cause you ain't mad you got saddled with an old man for a husband. If only I'd have known sooner. You could've had me in my prime. We could have had so many years together."

Lupin felt the lump in his throat grow even bigger. He cleared it, choking back the tears. It would never cease to amaze him that Zenigata had this hidden romantic eloquence in him that could risk giving Lupin himself a run for his money some days. He gathered Zenigata into his arms.

"No way. This was how it was supposed to be. We sure had some laughs through the years and there's plenty to come. Let me tell you, I've seen Stockholm Syndrome and this ain't it! There's no other old man I'd rather have." He told his husband in an attempt to keep things light. Letting the moment sink in, Lupin continued with the soft conviction that Zenigata had heard so often coloring his words even in moments of the greatest danger. "You're everything to me. My life was never better than with you in it, no matter what side of the law you were on. And now the years coming will be the best yet. Why'd ya think I did all that?"

Lupin nodded his head at the television where a third clip of the marriage licenses littering Shibuya Crossing was being shown. He kissed away a tear clinging to Zenigata's full eyelashes and looked at the former inspector with a smile Zenigata knew well. It was a smile that promised adventure and peril and treasures at the far-flung reaches of the globe. It was a smile that could make you walk through fire.

"Because you are Zenigata, master thief and my partner. And the whole damn world needs to know that!"

Zenigata kissed Lupin. How could he not kiss such an amazing lover when he was smiling like that? The kiss had caught Lupin off guard and he made a muffled sound of surprise and appreciation behind his occupied lips. He held onto Zenigata tightly until the kiss ended. When he finally pulled away Zenigata shyly wiped at his eyes before reaching for his phone.

"I don't think it'll take long with that stunt you pulled." He said as he typed something. His smile grew at his results popped up on the screen. "Nope. No time at all for the whole world to know." Zenigata said as he showed Lupin the screen. On it was results from a search engine. News sites. Videos. Blogs. Every place the Internet touched was talking about them. "No hiding now. You'll really have to trot me out next time so people can see how good married life looks on me."

Lupin sat back on the couch his arms spread along the back, looking the very picture of happiness. He eyed the search results on Zenigata's phone and gave a low impressed whistle.

"I'm going to have to." He observed. He was puffed up with pride. "Not bad work for no planning. Not cheap but not bad."

Zenigata's smile faltered.

"Lupin. How much did that little stunt cost you?" He asked eyeing his husband. Lupin felt suddenly scrutinized. His line of sight traveled up and away and the troublesome little grin never left his face. It was the expression of a child who had done something wrong, knew it was wrong but suspected he wouldn't get in trouble for it.

"Pops, you know it's tacky to ask how much a gift cost." He gushed. Zenigata's face was the picture of calm fastidiousness as he placed his phone down on the coffee table. A moment later he had one of Lupin's cheeks pinched between thumb and forefinger.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to control the purse strings around here. If you don't tell me I'm gonna start giving you a husband's salary. So fess up right now."

Lupin whined and flapped his arms until he wrenched himself free from the hard pinch. He rubbed his cheek but continued to flaunt his proud attitude. He was clearly standing by his act of love and getting a rise out of Zenigata while he was at it was was the icing on the cake.

"Fine! It was half of our cut! But it was worth every pretty penny!" Lupin said it brazenly like rebellious cuss words. Long thick eyelashes blinked in surprise for a moment but then he looked away.

"I guess I can't be too mad at ya. I spent a lot on this tattoo." He said nodding his head to his left arm. "Guess neither of us are too good with money." He pouted a bit then smiled. "Well, we'll have to pull another job soon. Think we're ready to pull one off by ourselves? Just you and me?"

Zenigata watched Lupin's eyes flash with fire at that. He could tell that Lupin was bubbling with excitement just below the surface though he kept it under a seemingly cool demeanor. He stood and stretched his arms over his head, rocking his head on his neck like an athlete warming his muscles.

"I don't know..." He said over his shoulder. He was playing at nonchalance and failing miserably at it. It was flirting, to say the least. The too cool swagger of a man with plenty to look forward to. "But maybe. There were plenty more earrings at that gem show. And bracelets; rings too. Mighty fine stuff."

Zenigata smirked and turned his head to look at Lupin a bit better.

"Yeah, mighty fine." He agreed but couldn't help giving his husband a lecherous look. Lupin turned at the waist. The zest for life was stronger than ever in Lupin's eyes.

"When was the last time we went to China?" He asked it casually as if asking his husband when it was they had last visited that quaint little restaurant they both loved so much. With a chuckle, Zenigata stood, wrapped an arm around Lupin's waist and pulled him close.

"It's been a while. Going on.... eight years, I think." He said while keeping the casual air that Lupin had added to the conversation. Lupin nodded sagely as if digesting and confirming the number.

"Yeah. Yeah, that sounds about right. I knocked over the Venetian in Macao, right?" He recalled.

"Yes yes, I remember it well." Zenigata said as though he was recalling a story from childhood. "You lead me on a high-speed chase in that souped up speed boat. Only got away because you crashed the boat with a dummy wearing your jacket at the wheel. A classic move. I really should have seen it coming."

"It was a good effort on both sides." Lupin conceded. He puffed up with pride and bounced his eyebrows. He turned to fully settle himself in Zenigata's embrace, chest to chest. "So what do you say we hop a flight up to Beijing and do our best to clean out what they have left at that gem show? Show 'em we took the best and now we can take the rest? Just for kicks, the four of us."

Zenigata's brow crinkled.

"Four? But Jigen and Goemon already left." His head tilted as he tried to make sense of Lupin's words. Lupin laughed a laugh that showed he was obviously pleased with himself.

"The four of us." He repeated. "You, me-" Here, Lupin gently touched first the blue koi on Zenigata's right arm and then the red phoenix on his left. "Apollo and Artemis."

A smile spread across Zenigata's face and he tilted his head back as he laughed. It was joyous and wholehearted. 


End file.
